Latest news with #SikkimHighCourt
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Sikkim govt committed to strengthen judicial infrastructure: CM Tamang
Gangtok: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Tuesday reiterated his government's resolve to strengthen judicial infrastructure, ensuring that no citizen is denied justice due to distance or lack of resources. Laying the foundation stone for the District Court Complex at Pakyong, Tamang described courts as 'temples of justice' and said the new facility would bring legal services closer to residents, particularly those in remote areas. The event was attended by Sikkim High Court Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder. The Chief Minister highlighted recent reforms, including the creation of the Directorate of Prosecution, which he said would enhance efficiency, timeliness, and fairness in legal proceedings while bolstering public trust. He also cited progress on the Sikkim National Law University, envisioned as a hub for nurturing future legal professionals. Tamang underscored the significance of implementing the newly introduced Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, calling them landmark legal reforms. He commended the Sikkim State Legal Services Authority for its outreach initiatives in schools and villages, which he said were helping spread legal awareness and ensure wider access to justice. Earlier, CM Tamang delivered a sharp rebuttal to recent criticism from the opposition Citizen Action Party (CAP), asserting that his government is fully capable of governing without unsolicited guidance. Addressing a public gathering, Tamang refrained from naming CAP directly, but his remarks left little doubt about the target. 'We know how to run the state. We do not require instructions from those sitting in the opposition,' he said, amid rising political tensions between the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) and CAP. The opposition has recently stepped up attacks on the government's policies and decision-making, prompting Tamang to dismiss their critiques as ungrounded. Taking aim at political rivals, he accused some leaders of being disconnected from the ground reality. 'Some people hide for six days a week and come online on Facebook only one day. Even though they claim to have shifted politically, they have not moved an inch. Yet, they dream of winning all 32 seats,' he remarked.
Hindustan Times
16-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Sikkim HC orders vehicle insurer to pay compensation to family of labourer who died in road accident
Gangtok, Overturning a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal ruling, the Sikkim High Court directed an insurance company to pay ₹21.89 lakh as compensation to the parents of a labourer who died after the vehicle on which he was travelling met with an accident. Sikkim HC orders vehicle insurer to pay compensation to family of labourer who died in road accident Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan directed United India Insurance Company Ltd to pay the compensation on the ground that the deceased was a workman covered under its policy and not a mere passenger. The appeal was filed by the victim's parents under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, challenging the MACT's ruling, rejecting their compensation claim, stating that the deceased had merely taken a lift and was not covered by the vehicle insurance policy. The accident occurred on April 20, 2023, when the victim was travelling in the vehicle from Rorathang to Bering in East Sikkim. The HC noted that the deceased was hired as a daily wage labourer to unload five bags of sand being transported in the vehicle. The vehicle owner stated that the deceased used to assist in petty work and had boarded the vehicle to unload the sand meant for repairing his house drain, Justice Pradhan said, noting that this was sufficient to prove that the deceased was a workman. The court held that under the Employees' Compensation Act, the term "workman" includes helpers, cleaners, and others engaged in work connected to a motor vehicle. Since the vehicle owner had also paid an additional premium for workmen's liability, the insurance coverage extended to the deceased, Justice Pradhan observed. The HC rejected the insurance company's argument, which relied on an investigator's report claiming that the deceased was a gratuitous passenger because he belonged to the same village as the driver. The HC held that the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the vehicle's driver, which made the owner vicariously liable. Justice Pradhan noted that ₹21.89 lakh was a "just compensation" with a 9 per cent interest rate from the date of filing the claim petition. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
India Today
18-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
On 50th Statehood Day, how Sikkim honoured its past, hailed the future
Gangtok woke up to dense fog on May 16, but a sense of history in the making kept the mood brightened that morning. The Himalayan state of Sikkim was marking a golden milestone—50 years of integration with the Indian Union in 1975, the occasion as much about honouring the past as showcasing a progressive and inclusive day began on a patriotic note as a Tiranga Rally, led by chief minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay, wound its way from the vibrant M.G. Marg to the Paljor Stadium, hailing the armed forces for the recent valorous face-off with Pakistan. People lined the streets, draped in traditional attires and wrapped in the warmth of the occasion, waving flags and cheering the procession. At the stadium, accompanying the chief minister were a host of dignitaries, such as governor Om Prakash Mathur, chief secretary Ravindra Telang and Sikkim High Court chief justice Biswanath the one thing that made this golden jubilee event even more unforgettable was a historic first—the ceremonial parade at Paljor Stadium was led by two women police officers, a watershed moment in the state's journey towards gender equity and representation. 'We thank our DGP (director general of police) Akshay Sachdeva, the government and our seniors for trusting us with this job on such a historic day. We are very happy,' said deputy superintendent of police Rinku Wongmu Bhutia, the parade poised and commanding, stood alongside police inspector Tshomu Lachungpa, the second-in-charge, both women leading the parade with a quiet confidence that belied the profound significance of their roles. Eight platoons and 50 members of the police band followed their lead in seamless coordination, the crowd erupting into applause at the sight of the women in uniform charting the path Bhutia, a decorated officer, brought not only experience but international acclaim to the moment. From 2019 to 2020, she had served as part of the UN Peacekeeping Force in southern Sudan, earning respect for her leadership and whose name is sometimes spelt 'Chomu' to make it easier for others to pronounce, brought her own charm to the event. Her name itself is a poetic composite: 'Tsho' meaning lake, and 'Mu' meaning girl—'Girl from the Lake'.A native of Lachung in north Sikkim, her name and presence evoked the very soul of the mountains she represents. Like Rinku, she is from the Bhutia community, and their visibility at the helm of the parade spoke volumes about representation, empowerment and rooted even nature had a moment of drama to offer. Just as the ceremony reached its crescendo, a dense fog suddenly rolled into the stadium, blanketing everything in mist and momentarily halting the proceedings. Visibility dropped to near-zero. But in true hill tradition, the delay was embraced with calm acceptance. 'This is the hills,' one spectator noted. 'The weather here changes its mind like poetry.'The celebrations continued with even greater fervour once the fog cleared. Inside Paljor Stadium, a vibrant mass dance performance unfolded as 1,100 schoolchildren from 18 schools, assisted by two dance academies and the state's cultural affairs department, performed synchronised routines, blending traditional Sikkimese dances with modern choreography. Dressed in vivid attire, their movements painted a live mural of the state's rich heritage and youthful those witnessing the celebrations with a special lens was Sonam Denzongpa, a Sikkimese woman who is now a resident of Australia for over 30 years. An entertainment entrepreneur, Denzongpa runs a production company and had returned home with her team to shoot a documentary on Sikkim's journey over the past five decades. 'Denzong is another name for Sikkim. So my surname suggests I am from Sikkim,' she shared proudly, her eyes reflecting the emotion of returning to a homeland in presence added another layer of symbolism to the day—the Sikkimese diaspora reconnecting with their roots, contributing to the global storytelling of a small but culturally rich state. The mention of her surname naturally brings to mind Danny Denzongpa, the iconic Bollywood actor and a fellow Sikkimese whose legacy has long inspired pride among the people of the the final notes of the police band faded into the mountain air and the sun dipped low behind the hills, Sikkim's 50th Statehood Day stood not merely as a commemoration but as a living, breathing tribute—to progress and perseverance, identity and inclusion, and above all, a people who have embraced modernity without losing their to India Today Magazine
