HC denies relief on plea to carry out excavation in Madurai village
Madras high court
has denied relief to a man who sought a direction to the authorities to carry out an archaeological excavation in Ulaipatti village, Madurai district.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed in 2020 by an advocate, G Thirumurugan.
The petitioner stated that a furnace unearthed in Ulaipatti village confirmed the existence of industrial sites in the ancient period.
He stated that burial urns, hero stones, and artefacts were also unearthed in the village.
If a planned and systematic excavation is carried out at this site in Ulaipatti, it would provide a better understanding of our history. Hence, the petitioner moved court.
A division bench of justice S M Subramaniam and justice A D Maria Clete observed that the court cannot issue a direction to conduct such activities unless the authorities form an opinion that it is necessary in the interest of the public and in accordance with the provisions of the Act and Rules in force. If the court decides to take such a decision, it must follow the envisaged procedures. It is for the petitioner to pursue the pending representation, if any, before the competent authorities, the judges observed, and disposed of the petition.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Pune ‘drug party' raid: CM Fadnavis' first reaction as ex-minister Eknath Khadse's son-in-law among 7 held
In first comments after former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse's son-in-law was arrested after Pune Police busted a rave party on Sunday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that although it appears that a crime was committed, he will only be able to talk more about it after he receives a proper briefing. According to a PTI report, police arrested seven persons after busting a "drug party" following a raid at an apartment in Pune early on Sunday and seized narcotics, hookah set ups and liquor, officials said. Pranjal Khewalkar, the husband of former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse's daughter Rohini Khadse, was among those arrested, they said. Rohini Khadse is state president of the women's wing of the opposition NCP (SP). Reacting to the arrest, CM Fadnavis said, 'Even I saw it only in the media. I've been attending programmes since morning, so I haven't received an actual briefing on it yet. Based on what is being shown in the media, the police have busted a rave party, and some people have been found there. Drugs were reportedly found.' 'Once I receive a proper briefing, I will be able to comment on it. Prima facie, it appears that a crime has taken place at that location,' the CM was quoted by ANI as saying. The police's Crime Branch carried out the raid at the studio apartment located in the upscale Kharadi area of Maharashtra's Pune city based on a tip-off about a rave party, an official told PTI. The raid was conducted around 3.30 am on Sunday and a 'drug party' was busted at the studio apartment, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Nikhil Pingle said at a press conference in Pune. During the raid and subsequent search, police seized 2.7 grams of cocaine-like substance, 70 gm of a ganja-like substance, a hookah pot, various hookah flavours, and liquor, and beer bottles, Pingle said. "We have arrested seven individuals, identified as Pranjal Khewalkar, Nikhil Poptani, Sameer Sayyad, Shripad Yadav, Sachin Bhombe, Isha Singh and Prachi Sharma, under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act," he said. All the accused were sent for medical examination and their reports are awaited, the official said. Reacting to the raid, Eknath Khadse said it should be probed if there was a political motive behind the police action. Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader Sushma Andhare said the raid is a message for those speaking against the government. (With inputs from agencies)
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Bihar: Teen held for raping, killing 5-year-old girl; second such case in 4 days
Gaya: A 14-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly raping and strangling a five-year-old girl to death on Saturday night near a village under the Dobhi police station area. This marks the second such incident involving minors in Gaya district within the past four days, police said. The parents searched for her after they returned home and foundthe body with a towel wrapped around her neck in the nursery and informed the police around 10 pm (Representative photo) The girl's parents had gone to an adjacent village for paddy plantation while she was playing outside the house. The accused allegedly lured her on the pretext of purchasing chocolates around 7 pm and took her to a nursery in the forest department near Piparghati market and raped her, police said. The parents searched for her after they returned home. 'They found the body with a towel wrapped around her neck in the nursery and informed the police around 10 pm. She was bleeding from her private part when she was recovered,' Dobhi station house officer (SHO) Mukesh Kumar said. Police said that the family, belonging to a Scheduled Caste, was financially not stable. Also Read: Bihar minor rape victim dies after being made to wait for hours in ambulance Police said that the boy, who was taken into custody on the basis of information provided by the girl's family and neighbours, said that he killed the girl after she fainted during the rape. His clothes were seized, and he was sent to Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMMCH) for medical examination. The forensic science team also visited the crime site. A case under Sections 103(1) and 62(2) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act was registered with Dobhi police station. 'The body was sent to ANMMCH at Gaya for autopsy,' senior superintendent of police (SSP) Anand Kumar said. Also Read: Panchkula police re-arrest rape accused within 24 hours of escape Sub-divisional police pfficer (Sherghati-2) Sanjiv Kumar Prabhat was directed to submit a charge-sheet in the case soon. 'Police would recommend speedy trial of the case to ensure severe punishment to the accused,' SSP Kumar said. Meanwhile, a driver and a technician were arrested for allegedly gang-raping a 26-year-old female candidate inside an ambulance on Thursday, while she was being taken to a hospital after fainting during a race held as part of the home guard recruitment in Bihar's Bodh Gaya.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Bangladesh's BNP functionary lived in Bengal for 30 years, wife held: Police
Kolkata: A functionary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was living in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district for the past 30 years as an enrolled voter, police said on Sunday, a day after his wife — who claims to be an Indian national — was arrested. At least 300 Bangladeshis have been apprehended from various districts of West Bengal since December last year. (Representative photo) 'Sherful Mondal, a resident of the district's Bagdah area, said that she married Rezaul Mondal around 30 years ago but came to know later that he was a BNP leader and had entered India illegally,' a police officer, requesting anonymity, said. Sherful said that Rezaul returned to Bangladesh months before a mass uprising forced Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina to resign as Prime Minister and leave the country in July last year. 'Rezaul came under scanner after police started looking for his son, Firoz, for allegedly eloping with a minor girl three months ago. A case was registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The probe indicated that Firoz is a Bangladeshi national,' the officer said. Also Read: Bengal launch helpline amid migrant worker harassment row; BJP floats counter helpline The officer said that Rezaul presented Sherful's mother, Cherbanu Mondal, as his mother while procuring an Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC). 'Sherful was arrested for helping an illegal immigrant,' the officer added. Prasun Pramaik, the block development officer (BDO) of Bagdah, said that Rezaul's nationality was exposed when Election Commission officials were doing field work. 'EC officials went to the area to update the electoral roll when the man and his son could not be found,' the BDO said. Also Read: '52 migrant workers detained in Gurugram': Bengal CM raps govt North 24 Parganas is one of the districts in West Bengal that share an international border with Bangladesh. The Border Security Force (BSF) and other agencies have intensified vigil along the border since 2024 in view of the political unrest in Bangladesh. At least 300 Bangladeshis have been apprehended from various districts of West Bengal since December last year.
