Latest news with #PublicInterestLitigations
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
National Lok Adalat in Chamarajanagar courts on July 12
Principal District and Sessions Judge G. Prabhavati said the National Lok Adalat will be held in all courts across Chamarajanagar district on July 12, as per the directions of the State Legal Services Authority. Addressing a press conference in the District Court premises on Tuesday, she said Lok Adalat benches will be set up in the courts of Chamarajanagar, Gundlupet, Yelandur, and Kollegal, with conciliators appointed to settle compromise-suitable cases through mutual agreement. She said the people can make good use of the Lok Adalat at their respective courts. Cases can be resolved through Lok Adalat if parties accept the suggestions given by conciliators. This saves both time and money for litigants and fosters better relationships between parties, she said. Except for Public Interest Litigations (PILs), various types of civil cases – including restoration of conjugal rights, maintenance, child custody, motor vehicle accident claims, industrial disputes, cheque bounce cases, cases under labour laws, electricity theft, illegal stone and sand transportation cases, and other compromise-suitable matters – can be settled in Lok Adalat, she explained. She added that pre-litigation disputes can also be resolved in Lok Adalat through preliminary consultation before being filed in court. The Lok Adalat on July 12 is expected to dispose of more cases than the previous one. In this connection, pre-consultations are underway in every court and District Legal Services Authority. If parties in any pending compromise-suitable case file an application in the respective court for transfer to Lok Adalat, such cases will be referred accordingly, she said. Senior Civil Judge and District Legal Services Authority Member Secretary Eshwar, and Bar Association General Secretary Rangaswamy were present.
India Gazette
09-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Alipore court sends four accused in Kolkata Law College gangrape case to 14-day judicial custody
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 9 (ANI): The Alipore Court on Tuesday sent all four accused in the South Kolkata Law College gangrape case to 14 days of judicial custody. The incident took place on June 25, when a student was allegedly gangraped inside the South Calcutta Law College in the Kasba area of Kolkata. Five days later, on June 30, Kolkata Police said that the three main accused in the case were arrested in less than 12 hours. Initially, the Alipore Court had sent the three primary accused -- Monojit, Pramit, and Zaib -- to police custody till July 8, while the fourth accused, security guard Pinaki, was remanded to custody till July 4. Earlier, the Kolkata High Court sought a response from the West Bengal Government on three Public Interest Litigations (PILs) regarding the alleged gangrape at the South Calcutta Law College in the Kasba area. The Court also questioned why the governing body of the college was not included in the case. Kolkata Police said on Wednesday that the Detective Department of the police force will take over the investigation of the Kolkata alleged gang-rape case. Speaking to ANI, West Bengal Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers employed as permanent or casual staff in colleges have 'polluted' the state's education system. 'All of these are former TMC workers and are now employed as permanent or casual staff in colleges. They have polluted the state's education system. They are involved in rape, molestation, extortion of money, controlling admission, college festivals, college infrastructure, and even managing the money sent by the centre. All recruitments are illegal. Groups C and D of the college's University are affiliated with the Governing body. The College Service Commission controls only the professors and the Principal. Taking advantage of it, the TMC workers are recruited as casuals, on paper, 280 days of continuous job is shown, after which they are regularised,' he said. Meanwhile, the BJP's fact-finding team investigating the case submitted its report to party national president JP Nadda on Tuesday. The team included former Union Ministers Satpal Singh and Meenakshi Lekhi, Rajya Sabha MP Manan Kumar Mishra, and Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb. Reacting to the report, Nadda said that this report exposes the 'lawlessness' in West Bengal. 'This report exposes the utter state of lawlessness in West Bengal and the state government's alarming insensitivity towards women's safety. From Sandeshkhali to RG Kar Hospital and now this, the pattern remains the same with silence, inaction and protection for the accused,' Union Minister JP Nadda said on X. (ANI)
Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bombay High Court asks BMC to reconsider limiting slaughterhouses' closure to a day during Paryushan Parv
The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to reconsider its decision to close slaughterhouses in Mumbai for only a day during Paryushan Parv, and not for the entire period of nine days of the prominent Jain festival. A division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep V Marne was hearing Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed by Sheth Motishaw Lalbaug Jain Charities and Sheth Bherulalji Kanaiyalalji Kothari Religious Trust. They challenged the August 30, 2024, order of the BMC commissioner, which directed slaughterhouses to remain closed for a day during Paryushan Parv instead of all nine days. The court directed BMC to reconsider its decision after examining representation by the petitioners belonging to the Jain community by August 18, before the commencement of Paryushan Parv on August 20. The court said the Nashik and Pune Municipal Corporations were required to take a reasoned decision on the closure of slaughterhouses during Paryushan Parv. The petitioner claimed that the two civic bodies did not give any reasons for refusing to ban the slaughter of animals during the entire period of the festival. Representing the petitioners, Senior Advocate Darius Khambata and Advocate Abhinav Chandrachud relied on the Supreme Court judgement of March 2008 in Hinsa Virodhak Sangh vs Mirzapur Moti Kuresh Jamat, which noted that the state and every citizen must have compassion for living creatures. Khambata argued that the SC had found the closure of slaughterhouses for nine days to be a reasonable restriction, and could not be said to be violative of the fundamental rights of persons engaged in the slaughtering of animals. The petitioners claimed BMC misinterpreted the SC decision, and failed to consider that the population of Jains in Maharashtra was greater than that of Gujarat, which was not the case. The lawyers submitted that the Jain community constitutes 1.24 per cent of Maharashtra's population, while they represent 0.95 per cent of Gujarat's population. Chandrachud said that as per the 2011 Census, there were over 14 lakh Jains in Maharashtra, compared to over 5.7 lakh Jains in Gujarat. He also submitted that Mumbai has 5.38 per cent of Jain population compared to 3.64 per cent in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, therefore, the impugned decision was arbitrary.
The Hindu
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
HYDRAA holds final demolition notice to Fatima Owaisi college amid PIL: A.V. Ranganath
The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has held back the final demolition notice to Fatima Owaisi College, a educational institution serving nearly 10,000 underprivileged Muslim students from kindergarten to post-graduation. HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, revealed during a public interaction on X on Sunday, July 6 that while a preliminary notice had been issued over alleged encroachment on Suram Cheruvu lakebed in Bandlaguda, the final order remains pending due to ongoing Public Interest Litigations (PILs) and the sensitive social implications involved. The Commissioner's comments came as part of a wider engagement with citizens during an X Space, where he fielded questions about parks, land disputes, and illegal constructions across Hyderabad. He said that among the major recoveries, HYDRAA reclaimed properties worth ₹1,000 crore at Bumrah Lake, allegedly involving AIMIM leaders, and another ₹30 crore in Chandrayangutta through encroachment demolitions. Explaining HYDRAA's approach to land disputes, the Commissioner said that upon receiving complaints, an officer conducts preliminary inquiries before calling both parties to submit ownership documents for verification and hearings. All proceedings are video-recorded in the presence of officials to ensure transparency and accountability.
Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
High Court orders removal of apple orchards from encroached forest lands
In a judgment with far reaching effect, a division bench of Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the State Forest Department to 'immediately remove' all apple orchards from encroached forest lands across the state where evictions had already taken place, and recover the cost of felling, stump removal and plantation from the encroachers as arrears of land revenue. The directive came in continuation of judicial monitoring in two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) on which the high court took suo moto cognisance in 2014 and 2015. A division bench of Justices Vivek Singh Thakur and Bipin C Negi Wednesday directed the officials concerned to take stern action against individuals obstructing the implementation and the issuance of bailable warrants. 'With respect to the submission of learned Advocate General qua persons/encroachers, who are obstructing the state machinery in implementing the judgment passed by this court, let bailable warrants each in the sum of Rs 25,000 with one surety each in the like amount be issued against the persons mentioned in the above referred documents, returnable for July 14, 2025 with a notice to explain as to why they should not be punished for obstructing the implementation of the orders/directions passed by this court. Insofar as the Revenue Village to which these individuals belong, cutting/removal of apple trees shall be done forthwith and progress reports be filed on or before the next date of hearing,' the order, brought to the public domain on Saturday, reads. The bench also took serious note of repeated and organised attempts by evicted encroachers to reoccupy forest lands. Advocate General (AG) Anup Rattan, appearing for the state, along with Additional Advocate General (AAG) Varun Chandel, informed the court that despite earlier evictions, individuals named in government communications on January 31, 2025 and GD Entry No. 31 recorded at the Kotkhai police station on July 1, 2025, continued to obstruct officials attempting to enforce the Court's earlier orders. The submissions, supported by a Joint Committee report dated July 1, 2025, which disclosed that 'evicted encroachers are placing hail nets and continuing to manage apple crops on forest lands, disrupting official access and enforcement efforts'. The AG submitted, 'The Forest Department is unable to micro-manage these orchards and that apple trees, being non-forest species, are to be replaced with indigenous forest vegetation.' Supporting the state's stand, senior advocate JL Bhardwaj, serving as amicus curiae, stressed 'the urgency of strong judicial intervention' to prevent recurrence of encroachments. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the Court ordered complete removal of apple trees and orchards from such forest lands, and directed that 'reforestation efforts be undertaken on a war footing, leveraging the ongoing monsoon season'. Bhardwaj told The Indian Express, 'In 2014, the high court received two letters, highlighting the encroachment menace on the forest lands, where encroachers cultivated orchards, especially apple orchards. The Court received another letter in 2015 and clubbed it with the earlier matter taken up. Thousands of bighas of forest land in Himachal Pradesh are under illegal encroachment. This order will be implemented across the state. The Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police have been directed to provide all necessary support to ensure compliance, including police protection to forest officials.' The Court directed that replantation with forest species be carried out either by the forest department or with the assistance of NGOs or private agencies engaged in afforestation. 'Crucially, the cost of felling, stump removal, and plantation is to be recovered from the encroachers as arrears of land revenue.' In addition, the Court took stern action against individuals obstructing implementation. For the villages from which these individuals hail, the Court directed immediate removal of all apple trees, with progress to be reported by the next hearing date fixed on July 14. The bench clarified that these directions were in addition to the orders passed earlier on January 8, 2025, in the same PILs. Meanwhile, the high court also acknowledged evidence that evicted encroachers are repeatedly attempting to reoccupy forest land, particularly areas where apple orchards were planted. The court stated in the order that photographs showed the use of hail nets to protect apple crops on these lands. The Court also accepted the forest department's stand that apple trees were noted as non-forest species, and the court recognised the state's intent to replace them with indigenous forest species. In an affidavit filed before the NGT in March 2025, Himachal Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Sameer Rastogi submitted that a total of 8,374 cases of encroachments, involving approximately 5,689 hectares of forest land, were detected between 2001 and 2023. Out of these, 9,903 cases covering an area of 3,097 hectares were successfully evicted, while remaining cases are under process, Rastogi had submitted.
