Karnataka High Court issues notice to NHAI on plea against collection of toll at Nagasandra toll plaza on Tumakuru Road
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Joshi passed the order on the petition filed by A.V. Amaranathan, a city-based advocate.
Alleging that crores of rupees has been collected as toll since 2021, the petitioner has sought a direction from the court to the NHAI to submit the details of the toll collected since 2021.
The petitioner has also claimed that the plaza is situated inside Bengaluru city and hence the collection of toll is illegal, besides contending that for travelling about 5 km, from Guruguntepalya till Nagasandra where the plaza is located, commuters will have to pay ₹40.
It has also been complained in the petition that the NHAI has not provided him the response to the applications filed under the RTI seeking various details on toll collection and contract period.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Our goal is to cut daily travel time of commuters: Top cop
Belagavi: The volume of fines collected from traffic violators is not a measure of our efficiency. For me, reducing public travel time is the real priority, said Bhushan Borase, commissioner of Belagavi City police. Speaking at a media interaction organised by Belagavi Print Media Association at Vartha Bhavan on Wednesday, Borase said it's traffic regulation and not revenue collection that is his focus. Since taking charge a month ago, he redirected 90% of traffic police from fine collection duties to enforcement and traffic management. "The govt hasn't given us any targets for fine collection. If we can save 10 minutes daily of a citizen's travel time, that's significant, and that's our goal," he added. Borase also highlighted changes brought to the fine collection process for the convenience of the public. "Now, violators receive a message on WhatsApp followed by a formal notice. Earlier, they had to visit police stations to pay fines. Now, they can pay at Belagavi One centres," he said. Infra and traffic flow The commissioner cited potholes as a major cause of traffic slowdown in Belagavi. "The city has roads maintained by the NHAI, PWD, BCC, and Cantonment Board. We have written to all relevant authorities to urgently address the issue and are awaiting responses," Borase stated. He also revealed that nearly 4,000 trucks move in and out of the city daily. To decongest the roads, police have now fixed specific timings for truck movement, especially during peak hours. Borase said the city is collaborating with the Bengaluru police consultancy service to conduct a comprehensive traffic survey for short, medium, and long-term planning. "We are also consulting bus, truck, and auto drivers before implementing any new measures," the commissioner noted. Meanwhile, the officer urged people to share their suggestions and feedback on: "The department is focusing on increasing the number of paid parking areas across the city." Narcotics crackdown Addressing the growing concern of drug abuse in Belagavi, Borase admitted that the efforts so far are inadequate. "What we are doing is not even 1%. When both buyer and seller are in agreement, it becomes difficult to trace. If we raid one place, they shift to another. Today, transactions happen via the darknet and e-commerce sites. There is a long way to go," he said.


Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
SIC flags police delays on motor accident case papers
Gandhinagar: In a recent order, the Gujarat State Information Commission (SIC) has pointed out to Gujarat Police the repeated delays in furnishing accident investigation documents, a lapse that continues to affect proceedings before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT). SIC observed that such delays not only obstruct legal processes but also deprive accident victims of timely financial relief. The directive came in response to a second appeal filed by Ashwin Gohil, of a general insurance firm in Ahmedabad who is representing a motor accident case victim. Gohil had sought access to investigation papers related to a road accident which formed the basis of the MACT case. Despite clearly stating his role in facilitating claim settlements, his request — submitted on Jan 10, 2024 — was met with inaction by Jawaharnagar Police Station and the first appellate authority. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Presiding over the hearing on June 20, state information commissioner Nikhil Bhatt expressed concern over the lack of responsiveness. While the public information officer (PIO) claimed that the chargesheet had been filed, and advised the applicant to obtain it from the court, the commission clarified that "the police were obligated to provide a copy of the 'counter' document free of charge. It further ruled that the case diary, being personal to the investigating officer, was exempt under Section 8(1)(J) of the RTI Act, 2005." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo The commissioner pointed to references of prior instructions issued by the director general of police, which were based on a Supreme Court judgment. "These guidelines had explicitly directed all police stations in Gujarat to cooperate with insurance investigators and advocates by promptly sharing relevant documents," Bhatt's order states. The order has also pointed out that delays directly affect accident victims, many of whom rely on insurance settlements for urgent financial support," says city-based RTI activist Pankaj Bhatt. The commission has requested that the DGP's office reissue detailed circulars stressing the importance of timely information disclosure to insurance entities. Bhatt's order tells supervisory officers to verify whether requested information has been duly provided. It instructs regional officers to ensure staff maintain courteous conduct and respond promptly to information requests. The order also stipulates that insurance company representatives furnish appointment letters to validate their authority, in line with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.


Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
HC refuses to quash FIR against former medical dean in Rs 550cr procurement scam
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court has refused to quash an FIR against Dr P D Vithalani, former dean of multiple govt medical colleges, who is facing allegations of administrative and financial irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment worth Rs 550 crore. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The FIR was registered by Vadodara police following an order by a sessions court. The complaint was filed by Dr Amal Bhattacharya, an associate professor, who alleged that Vithalani abused his authority as dean by appointing and promoting ineligible doctors, shielding them when they were found engaged in private practice. He also accused Vithalani of misappropriating government funds through inflated bills and bogus transactions related to the procurement process. Additionally, Bhattacharya claimed that Vithalani had his office pay his electricity bills. The allegations were based on information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. After the police initially took no action, Bhattacharya approached a magisterial court. When the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) rejected his application, he filed a revision petition before a sessions court, which subsequently directed the registration of an FIR in 2013. Following this, Vithalani moved the HC seeking to quash the FIR and all related proceedings, arguing that the complaint was malicious and driven by personal vendetta. He contended that the appointments and promotions were carried out legally, and that the electricity bill in question had been recovered by the department following an objection. He also denied any wrongdoing in the procurement process. However, the high court considered the report submitted by the investigating officer, which indicated a prima facie misuse of authority in the appointments and promotions. Regarding the procurement allegations, the court observed, "Prima facie material collected in the investigation supports the allegation of a scam in the purchase of medical instruments as also the involvement of the petitioner." Justice J C Doshi concluded, "The FIR establishes a cognizable offence against the petitioner." He dismissed Vithalani's plea, calling it "frivolous, vexatious, and devoid of merit."