Bishop denies controversy over housing project

February 7, 2012

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Mangalore, February 7: Aloysius Paul D'Souza, the Bishop of Mangalore has denied any wrongdoing on the part of the diocese over a housing project being undertaken to mark the 125th anniversary of the Diocese.

Replying to a question while addressing the media to announce the conclusion of the year-long celebration, Mr. D'Souza said. “There is no controversy.” He, however, refused to elaborate any further by saying the the responsibility of these houses lies with the respective parish.

“We have built houses and till today around 97 houses are in various stages of construction. The beneficiaries of these houses are owners of their respective lands. They own the plots. We have received around Rs 52.3 lakhs for this housing project. The responsibility of these houses lies with the Parish of that area and they can attend to the issues of the tenants,” the Bishop said.

Asked about the residents of Maroli who were residing on the premises formerly owned by St. Antony's Institutes of Charity, the Bishop said that some of them lived in bungalows elsewhere.

Two Christian groups had staged a protest outside the Biship's house on January 31 accusing the diocese of fooling the people in the name of constructing house for the poor.

Members of the United Christian Association and Christian Reform Foundation staged a silent demonstration here on January 31 demanding that some of the families residing in houses owned by the Catholic church be given ownership of the houses.

They demonstrated in front of the Bishop's house in Kodialbail. In a pamphlet distributed to journalists, the two groups said that instead of building 320 houses as planned, the church should transfer ownership of the land in which poor families are presently living rather than build new houses for them.

Allegation

The pamphlet said that 13 families residing in the compound of St. Anthony's Institutes of Charity were being evicted from their homes. Residents of the compound Irene and John were shown as beneficiaries of a housing project by the church.

One of the families, portrayed in the press as the first beneficiary of the project had come out in the open saying that they had to pay a rent of Rs 2000 every month in order to live there.

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September 20,2024

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Mandya: The Deputy Superintendent of Police of Nagamangala town in Mandya district has been suspended for "negligence and dereliction of duty" in connection with the clashes that broke out between two groups during a Lord Ganesh idol procession, police said on Friday.

This is the second suspension of a police officer over the clashes on September 11 following which mobs went on a rampage targeting several shops and vehicles leading to tension here.

The situation in the town has since returned to normalcy and most of the shops have started operating. However, adequate security forces continued to be stationed here as a precautionary measure, according to police.

Sumeeth A R, DySP (Nagamangala), was suspended on Thursday for negligence and dereliction of duty, Mandya Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baldandi told PTI.

"He (Sumeeth) was not present at the spot nor was he at the police headquarters when the incident occurred. He arrived late at the spot despite the sensitive nature of events," he said.

Earlier, Police Inspector Ashok Kumar posted at Nagamangala town police station was suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the violence.

A total of 55 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

According to police, an argument broke out between two groups, when the Ganesh idol procession by devotees from Badarikoppalu village reached a place of worship on September 11, and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation.

The police had used mild force to disperse the crowd to control the situation.

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September 20,2024

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court today sought a report from the Karnataka High Court over controversial remarks made by Justice Vedavyasachar Srishananda during a recent court hearing.

Justice Srishananda, while addressing a landlord-tenant dispute, referred to a Muslim-majority area in Bengaluru as "Pakistan" and made a misogynistic comment involving a woman lawyer. 

A five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices S Khanna, B R Gavai, S Kant, and H Roy, expressed the need for establishing clear guidelines for constitutional court judges regarding their remarks in court. 

The Supreme Court bench said that when social media plays an active role in monitoring and amplifying courtroom proceedings, there is an urgency to ensure judicial commentary aligns with the decorum expected from courts of law.

"Our attention has been drawn to some comments made by Karnataka High Court judge Justice V Srishananda during the conduct of judicial proceedings. We have asked the AG and SG to assist us. We ask the registrar general of the High Court to submit a report to this court after seeking administrative directions from the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court. This exercise may be carried out in 2 weeks," the top court directed.

Videos of Justice Srishanananda have gone viral on social media.

In one video, he refers to a Muslim-dominated locality in Bengaluru as "Pakistan" and on another video he was seen making objectionable comments against a woman lawyer. In the second incident, Justice Srishanananda can be heard telling the woman lawyer that she seemed to know a lot about the "opposition party", so much so that she might be able to reveal the colour of their undergarments.

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News Network
September 16,2024

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In a heart-breaking incident, 19-year-old Shaun D'Souza, a native of Vittalwadi in Udupi's Kundapur taluk, tragically lost his life in the UAE due to heat stroke.

Shaun, the beloved son of Elias Cyril D'Souza and Pramila D'Souza, originally from Hosabettu, Moodbidri, had been pursuing his college education in the UAE.

He was admitted to a hospital in Ras Al Khaimah, approximately 115 km from Dubai, after collapsing from heatstroke. Despite receiving immediate medical attention, Shaun breathed his last on Sunday, September 15. 

He is deeply mourned by his parents and two siblings. The family, who had been residing near St. Mary's Church in the UAE, are grappling with the profound loss. Shaun’s father, Elias, works as a manager for a private company, while his mother, Pramila, is an accountant.

The local community has come together to offer their support and condolences in this time of sorrow.

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