Madras High Court puts on hold order barring TNSTC buses from crossing NHAI toll plazas in south T.N.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh kept his order in abeyance after Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran informed the court that the Transport Secretary had called for a meeting on Thursday with the NHAI concessionaires and hopefully, some solution would be found, though the government had reservations about the quantum of arrears.
The judge said, the issue of fixing Fastag in the TNSTC buses could also be resolved since it had now become mandatory for all motor vehicles, and failure to fix them could lead to the levy of penalty. He also took into consideration the hardship that would be caused to those who use public transport before deciding to keep his previous order in abeyance.
Madurai-Kanniyakumari Tollway Private Limited, Kanniyakumari-Etturavattam Tollway Private Limited, Salaipudur-Madurai Tollway Private Limited, and Nanguneri-Kanniyakumari Tollway Private Limited had filed a batch of writ petitions in 2024, accusing the TNSTC of not having settled a huge amount of toll arrears.
Passing interim orders on the petitions on Tuesday, the judge had directed them not to permit TNSTC buses to ply through the Kappalur, Etturavattam, Salaipudhur, and Nanguneri toll plazas, and directed the Director General of Police as well as Inspector General of Police (south zone) to deploy adequate police force at those plazas.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Madras HC urges strict adherence to NDPS Act procedures for seized articles
MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed all the investigating officers, prosecuting agencies, and special courts handling cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, across the state to strictly comply with the procedures outlined in Section 52A (disposal of seized articles) of the Act and the NDPS (Seizure, Storage, Sampling and Disposal) Rules, 2022. The home secretary and the registrar general of the Madras HC have been directed to soon issue a comprehensive circular in this regard. Justice B Pugalendhi issued the directive while hearing an appeal filed by R Manimaran, seeking the return of his lorry seized in an NDPS case in 2021. Though Manimaran was acquitted in the case in 2023, the Additional District Court for EC and NDPS Act cases in Pudukkottai dismissed his request to return the vehicle. Observing that the appellant, until 2023, did not claim ownership of the lorry throughout the investigation and the trial, the judge said had Manimaran come forward earlier, his potential connection to the offence could have been examined further. The judge also noted the investigating officer's failure to initiate pre-trial disposal proceedings under Section 52A of the NDPS Act. The court noted that pre-trial disposal should be considered an integral part of the case processing and not an afterthought. Special courts are mandated to actively monitor compliance, and Drug Disposal Committees must expeditiously process referred properties to prevent administrative delays and loss of evidentiary integrity, it noted. The judge said, 'The legislative intent behind the procedure stems from an operational necessity to prevent overcrowding of judicial or police custody spaces, eliminate risks of pilferage or decay, and reduce the burden on courts to determine ownership, post-trial,' adding that long-term retention of such properties has often led to deterioration, theft or unauthorised usage. As the investigating officer has already moved the trial court for permission to refer the vehicle to the Drug Disposal Committee, the HC directed the trial court to dispose of the application.
News18
5 hours ago
- News18
'Conditioned To Blame Girl': Madras HC Cuts Jail Term Of Women Who Abetted Teen's Suicide For Love Affair
The HC said the women, though from the boy's family, targeted the girl, a response rooted in internalised misogyny, without realising that they were victims of the same mindset The Madras High Court recently upheld the conviction of two women accused of abetting the suicide of a 15-year-old girl but significantly reduced their prison sentence, citing their socio-economic hardship and internalised misogyny. In 2011, in Kuniamuthur, Coimbatore, a minor girl set herself ablaze after facing humiliation from her lover's aunts, Kayar Nisha and Rafia. The girl had fallen in love with her 19-year-old neighbour Saddam Hussain, and their families had consented to their marriage. However, the two aunts vehemently opposed the alliance. On August 18, 2011, the accused confronted the girl outside her house, hurled sexually coloured abuses, and even told her to go and die. The girl, distraught and alone at the time, ran inside, poured kerosene on herself, and set herself on fire. She succumbed to her burn injuries on September 2, 2011. The police initially registered a case under Section 309 IPC (attempt to suicide), but after her death and a detailed investigation, including a dying declaration, the charge was altered to Section 305 IPC (abetment of suicide of a minor). The Mahila Court convicted both women in 2016, sentencing them to three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000 each. On appeal, the bench of Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy of the high court upheld the conviction, noting that the accused's words were 'excessively harsh and sexually charged" and would have had a deep psychological impact on a minor. 'Their conduct of going to the girl and admonishing her is inherently unacceptable, and the words spoken by the accused are excessively harsh and extremely sexually charged, likely to drive any 15-year-old child to suicide," the judge held. However, the court chose to reduce their sentence, citing their background. Kayar Nisha, 64, is a widow who works as a domestic help and suffers from hypertension. Rafia, 40, is a daily wager with two young children. The court also highlighted that the women's actions were influenced by internalised misogyny, conditioned by a patriarchal society that often blames the girl in matters of relationships. 'Their behaviour stems from internalised misogyny, which is a product of our male-dominated society. They are conditioned to question the female without realising they themselves are victims of such a mindset. In doing so, they harmed a girl child and made themselves liable for punishment," the judge observed. The sentence was reduced to the time already served, 90 days for Kayar Nisha and 83 days for Rafia. However, their fine was increased to Rs 20,000 each, to be paid within four weeks or face two months' simple imprisonment. Suicide Prevention: If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
Cal HC seeks MHA report on Delhi cops pushing 6 Bengalis into B'desh
Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Friday asked the Union ministry of home affairs to submit a report on the recent deportation of six people, including children, to Bangladesh by the Delhi Police. The court set a deadline of Wednesday and also asked the Bengal chief secretary to get in touch with his Delhi counterpart and submit a report. The directive followed two habeas corpus writs that came up for hearing before the bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobroto Kumar Mitra on Friday. One alleged that an eight-year-old boy and his parents had been deported to Bangladesh and the other alleged the deportation of another three-member family (relatives of the first family). "In view of the nature of the allegations, prima facie, we are of the opinion that the writ petition is maintainable and this court cannot be a silent spectator," the bench said, referring to one of the cases, and directed officials "to produce all relevant documents to enable this court to infer as to whether the three had been illegally detained". You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The same bench, hearing a similar petition on the illegal detention of Bengali-speaking migrants by cops in Odisha, had said it could not remain a "silent spectator" to what was going on and the Indian Constitution allowed it to "address violations of fundamental rights, even if the detention occurred in another state". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The counsel for the petitioners who brought up the issue on Friday submitted that the media had reported about the "deportations". The "deported" people were citizens of India, the counsel submitted, and had relevant documents to prove that. A mail had been sent to Delhi Police officials but there was no reply yet, the petitoners' counsel said. The deportation was done without taking them to the Foreigners' Tribunal, the counsel added. The state counsel present in court endorsed this. The counsel for the second family from Birbhum submitted that they were picked up from a location within Rohini police jurisdiction and deported to Bangladesh. Justice Chakraborty referred to Thursday's petition and said the bench was going to pass similar directives, prompting the petitioners' counsel to point out that Odisha detainees had been released and were back home. Justice Chakraborty asked senior counsel Dhiraj Trivedi, representing the centre, to assist the court.
