Slighted by HC circular, MLAs seek probe into judges' assets

February 9, 2017

Bengaluru, Feb 9: A circular of the High Court of Karnataka barring ministers and legislators from sitting on the dais during inauguration of court buildings triggered an outburst from members against the judiciary in the Legislative Assembly.

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The members, cutting across party lines, on Wednesday stated that the circular is an insult to the legislature. They even sought a probe into judges' assets.

Moving the motion of thanks to the governor's address, K?N?Rajanna (Congress)?referred to the October 14 high?court circular and stated that the judiciary has exceeded its jurisdiction. The circular was issued by then Registrar General of the high?court John Michael D'Cunha, based on the proceedings of the Full Court (see box ).

Rajanna said court buildings are constructed using taxpayers' money and the judiciary did not have any exclusive right over them. He said legislators were the custodians of taxpayers' money and members of the judiciary. “Judges many a time forget that they are humans. We cannot speak against them. They threaten us with contempt of court. In one way they are... ”, Rajanna said.

Leader of the Opposition Jagadish?Shettar said a former chief justice of India has been on record stating that 50% of the judges were corrupt. Rajanna said the government should order a probe into the assets of all judges. His view was endorsed by several members including C?T?Ravi (BJP)?and N?A?Haris (Congress).

K?M?Shivalinge Gowda (JD-S) said judges lived in lavish quarters and even securedG' category sites. Sa Ra Mahesh (JD-S) said a former chief justice, instead of being in the court, was found shopping in a jewellery shop, where he collapsed and had to be rushed to a hospital in an ambulance.

S Suresh Kumar (BJP) said when he was law minister, he had to suffer the humiliation of being subjected to police verification. The police were acting on a direction from a judge who did not want to share the dais with anyone with criminal antecedents at the inauguration of a court building at Holalkere in Chitradurga district.

Kumar urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was present in the House, to advocate the cause of legislators. “You should become an advocate once again. We should not be helpless,” he said, referring to Siddaramaiah's law practice during his younger days.

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Skazi
 - 
Thursday, 9 Feb 2017

The judges should be stripped by carrying out IT raids on them ......

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News Network
March 15,2024

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Bengaluru, Mar 15: Work from home to using toilets in malls, residents of India's 'Silicon Valley' Bengaluru are exploring all options to combat the unprecedented water crisis. People across various neighbourhoods have been forced to order food from restaurants and take bath on alternate days due to the water scarcity.

Even those in high-rise apartments equipped with water harvesting systems now find themselves reliant on water tankers for basic needs, leading to stringent usage restrictions.

Eateries are mulling over use of disposable cups, glasses and plates to avoid excess use of water.

Educational institutions are also feeling the pinch. Recently, a coaching centre in the city asked its students to attend classes online due to an 'emergency' for a week. Similarly, a school on Bannerghatta Road was also closed, asking students to attend classes online just like they did during the Covid pandemic.

Residents have come with up new methods to try and conserve water. With temperature rising, it is difficult to avoid a daily shower but they are left with no option but to take bath on alternative days, said Sujatha, a resident of KR Puram.

"What to do? Clean vessels, cook food, wash clothes....so, we have started using paper plates, that way we have cut down on our water usage. And we order food twice a week. We are using the washing machine only once in a week now," she said.

Some others have resorted to visiting a mall to take a shower or use the toilet facilities.

Lakshmi V, an IT professional living in Singasandra, has been requesting her firm to allow WFH option so that she and her family can temporarily shift to her native place in Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu until the situation becomes better.

"If the situation persists, we are thinking of seeking a work from home option. We are planning to move to our native place in Tamil Nadu temporarily till rain arrives here," she said.

Bengaluru primarily gets its water supply from two sources - Cauvery river and groundwater. For most non-drinking uses, recycled water processed by sewage treatment plants is used. With no rain for a while now, the primary sources have been stretched to their limits. Bengaluru needs 2,600-2,800 million litres of water daily, and the current supply is half of what's required. The result is a daily struggle for the city's residents.

The brunt is also being borne by people living in the outskirts of Bengaluru, especially in 110 villages that were merged with the city in 2007.

The crisis has also turned into a political battle between the state's ruling Congress government and the opposition BJP with Lok Sabha just weeks away. While the BJP has held several protests blaming the government, the Congress has accused the BJP-ruled federal government of not providing financial assistance to drought-hit Karnataka.

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News Network
March 28,2024

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Mangaluru, Mar 28: A fish meal factory in the Baikampady Industrial area in Mangaluru was gutted in a fire incident on Thursday, officials said.

The factory is owned by the company 'Shihar Enterprises', they said.

According to the locals, the fire was first noticed at 4.45 am today, which was immediately reported to the fire department.

The fire engines reached the spot and tried to douse the fire, but it had already spread to other parts of the factory. After almost four hours of fire-fighting operation, the blaze was completely doused, officials.

The reason for the blaze is still being probed, the fire department officials said, adding that they suspect an electric short circuit could have triggered it.

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News Network
March 16,2024

Mangaluru: In the wake of complaints regarding middlemen menace, sleuths of Lokayukta on Friday, March 15, conducted a raid at the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority. 

The Lokayukta team found unaccounted money and several files, which were not disposed of for a long period.

Lokayukta SP CA Simon said that the Lokayukta has received complaints that middlemen have been interfering in the MUDA office, and files pertaining to the public are not being cleared on time.

A raid that commenced in the evening on March 13, lasted for 18 hours. During the raid, Lokayukta officials found cash in a bag in MUDA office, and also with officials and others. MUDA officials could not inform the source of money found in their office, the SP said.

Further, he said that many people gathered at the MUDA office during the Lokayukta raid, and have raised complaints about the harassment at the urban development authority. “We have gathered evidence for MUDA officials carrying out file disposal processes through brokers on phone calls. The investigation on the MUDA network will be continued,” he said.

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