The politicization of mask-wearing shows how difficult it will be for Joe Biden to build consensus around even basic public health strategies after he’s sworn in.
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Friday, November 13, 2020
Karnataka HC issues notice to govt over withdrawal of 570 cases against political leaders
The PIL alleged that between 8 August, 2014 to 5 May, 2020, over 570 cases have been withdrawn by the consecutive governments.
The Karnataka High Court issued a notice to the state government and the police department to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which questioned the withdrawal of cases against politicians and their supporters. The petition alleged that between 8 August, 2014 to 5 May, 2020, over 570 cases have been withdrawn by the consecutive governments. The HC has also asked the Prosecution Department under the state government to respond to the notice. A Division Bench of the Karnataka HC comprising Chief Justices S. Vishwajith Shetty and Abhay Shreenivas Oka issued the notice based on the Public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a city-based advocate. The HC asked the state to ‘to justify whether it has power to issue directions to the Director of Prosecution for withdrawing any criminal cases under Section 321 of the Code Criminal Procedure, 1973.’ Section 321 of Code Of Criminal Procedure, 1973 gives power of ‘Withdrawal from prosecution’ It says that “The Public Prosecutor or Assistant Public Prosecutor in charge of a case may, with the consent of the Court, at any time before the judgment is pronounced, withdraw from the prosecution of any person either generally or in respect of any one or more of the offences for which he is tried.” In the first week of September, the Karnataka government had withdrawn 62 criminal complaints against its MPs and MLAs. This was done based on the recommendation of Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who headed a sub-committee. The Director General and Inspector General of Police(DG-IGP) and the Director of Prosecution had opposed this decision at that time but the government had decided to go ahead. While the Opposition and activists had questioned the move, alleging that it was done with an ulterior motive to protect their party leaders and ministers, the BJP government had denied the allegations. They had said it was routine’ and the leaders had cases filed against them for taking up ‘public issues.’ The Karnataka Law Minister had said that the “Withdrawal of these cases was in public interest and would reduce the burden on courts.”Cases against several sitting ministers, including the Law, Tourism and Agriculture ministers were dropped.
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Karnataka govt launches ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ to get IT companies to move to tier 2 cities
The government intends to set up a task force with stakeholders from the industry, bureaucracy, government and experts to put together an action plan.
PTI photo
The Karnataka Government plans to push for the expansion of the IT sector in the state to look at geographical locations within the state, outside of Bengaluru. To make this happen, the state government launched a project dubbed ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ that intends to give several incentives to companies to set up in cities like Mangaluru, Mysuru, Belagavi, Hubbali, Shivamogga,and other in order to ‘build innovation and a technology ecosystem’. Unveiling the plan on Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Ashwath Narayan, who holds the portfolio for IT, BT, and S&T said, “With work from home becoming a normal due to the pandemic, the government hopes to set up an ecosystem in four cities which can create an effective talent pool.” The state currently heavily relies on the capital from where over 90% of the revenue is generated. With this in mind, the government intends to set up a task force with stakeholders from the industry, bureaucracy, government and experts to put together an action plan to realise his ambitious project. The government, the minister added, is looking at reverse-migration where it will be possible for people to work efficiently from tier 2 and 3 cities and said that the government is in talks with telecom companies to make this possible with seamless network. To further encourage companies from movies to these cities, the government plans to provide work spaces with plug and play facilities, tax rebates for companies, marketing expense reimbursements, patent expense reimbursements, and several other benefits for companies meeting certain criteria set. This is not the first time that the Karnataka government tried to decongest Bengaluru by trying to lure companies to move to other cities. In 2013, the then state government had set up IT parks in cities like Mangaluru, Hubli, Tumakuru and Mysuru and had even allowed exemption of stamp duty up to 75% for IT companies in a few of these cities. But in the past, these initiatives have not yielded successful results.
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Watch: 'Arishadvarga' trailer promises a gritty thriller
The Kannada film stars Avinash, Nanda Gopal and Samyukta Hornad in pivotal roles and premiered at the London Indian Film Festival in 2019.
After Act 1978, the trailer of another upcoming Kannada film Arishadvarga has come out ahead of its theatrical release on November 27. It will be the second new Kannada film to release in theatres after they were reopened in October. Arishadvarga is a suspense thriller written and directed by Arvind Kamath. The trailer gives audiences a small peek into the neo-noir film setting. The film stars Avinash, Nanda Gopal and Samyukta Hornad in pivotal roles. Set in Bengaluru, the film revolves around a mysterious murder and a man who finds himself in the crosshairs of the police with a witness convinced he is the culprit. The film received positive reviews after its world premiere at the London Indian Film Festival in June 2019. It was followed by further premieres at the Singapore South Asian International film festival in September 2019 and North American Premiere at the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival in November 2019. The film has been produced by Kanasu Talkies and the music is by Udit Haridas. The film's trailer was shared by Kichcha Sudeep on his social media platforms. Harish Mallya is the executive producer of Arishadvarga. He said that the original plan was to release the film in February but it was pushed to April to accommodate other films. The lockdown imposed in March meant that the release of the film was delayed by many more months. He expressed confidence that an indie crime thriller without a star cast could fare well in the box-office. A string of independent Kannada films are hitting the screens to take advantage of the lean period in the Sandalwood industry. Even though theatres opened in the middle of October, no new films have been released in Sandalwood and award-winning filmmaker Mansore’s Act-1978 is set to be the first release and will hit the screens on November 20.
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Video: Bengaluru cop alleges Vijayapura police responsible for his father’s suicide
Basavaraj Patil is a constable attached with the Yelahanka Police Station.
The video of a Bengaluru policeman, accusing the Vijayapura police of 'murdering' his father for money went viral on social media on Friday. Constable Basavaraj Patil, attached with the Yelahanka Police Station, uploaded a video he recorded on Facebook on Thursday night. "If police officers can kill the kin of another police officer, is there hope for justice? I have all the documents to prove that my father was being harassed by the Sindagi Police regularly. I only ask Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai to open a CBI investigation into his death," constable Basavaraj alleged in the viral video. In the video, Basavaraj alleged that the police officers at the Sindagi Police Station in Vijayapura, beat his 70-year-old father, which drove him to die by suicide. In 2016, Basavaraj's father had died by suicide and left a death note to the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stating that the Sindagi Police were responsible for his death. "In his death note, he had mentioned how the police had taken him to the station a day before his death and beat him up. My father and one of my brothers were involved in a land dispute. He had gone to the police many times to file a complaint but they demanded money from my father, When he demanded that a case be registered, they beat him up and he was severely injured," Basavaraj Patil said. In 2016, the CM had ordered the Vijayapura district police to investigate the matter after the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) had received the death note. However, the police concluded that there was no intimidation on behalf of the police. Constable Basabvaraj alleged that two days ago, the Sindagi Police assaulted his mother and brother too. He alleged that the police assaulted his brother and threatened to register a false case against him. Vijayapura Superintendent of Police Anupam Agarwal strongly denied constable Basavaraj's claims, stating that the constable was making false accusations to cover up a family dispute gone awry. Speaking to TNM, he said that the dispute between the family members including Basavaraj's father and two brothers began in 2013. The brothers wanted to divide the property owned by the family in Sindagi. The Sindagi Police, in 2013, asked them to resolve the issue among themselves. "Three years later, in 2016, the family members once again enlisted the police's help to settle the dispute. The Sindagi Police had asked them to take it up with the civil court. The brothers would often get into fights, which turned physical," Anupam Agarwal said. The SP claimed that a few days ago, the two brothers residing in Sindagi got into an altercation and ended up assaulting each other. "We investigated the matter in 2016 and in the current situation also, there was no police involvement. We tried to help constable Basavaraj as he is one among us, but he is unwilling to accept our help," Anupam Agarwal added. Basavaraj Police constable is attached with the Yelahanka Police Station. Sources with the Yelahanka Police said that an internal inquiry has been launched against Basavaraj and that the Sindagi Police are pushing for his suspension until the inquiry is complete. "There is a threat of suspension. But I had to speak the truth. I waited for four years for justice and nothing happened," Basavaraj added. Watch: Bengaluru cop alleges Vijayapura police responsible for his father’s suicide
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HC asks govt if it will prosecute Tejasvi Surya, others for flouting COVID-19 rules
On November 7, the state government confirmed in a submission to the High Court that Tejasvi Surya had paid a fine of Rs 250 for appearing in a public rally without a mask.
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday asked the Karnataka government to inform the court if it will prosecute Bengaluru South MP and the National President of BJP Yuva Morcha Tejasvi Surya and other political leaders for violating the COVID-19 guidelines of wearing masks in public. “If the person concerned has paid the fine, they have admitted their violation and therefore the failure of the state to prosecute them has very serious consequences. The state must take a call or make a statement on the next date," the High Court bench headed by Justice Vishwajith Shetty and Chief Justice Abhay Oka said, as per Livelaw. On November 7, the state government confirmed in a submission to the High Court that Tejasvi Surya had paid a fine of Rs 250 for appearing in a public rally without a mask on September 30. This came after the High Court asked the state government if it had levied fines on Tejasvi Surya and other political leaders for violating COVID-19 guidelines and not wearing masks during public rallies. Under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020, persons found violating the directions, orders or regulations can be imprisoned to a minimum three months and a fine of not less than Rs 50,000 or up to Rs 2 lakh. The High Court made the observation while hearing a plea filed by Bengaluru-based Letzkit Foundation through advocate Ramesh Puthige raising allegations that the guidelines for COVID-19 management were not followed or implemented in Karnataka. Letzkit Foundation files petitions on issues concerning the environment, inconvenience to pedestrians and senior citizens, among others. During the case, the petitioner argued that celebrities and political leaders in Karnataka were not being booked for flouting the COVID-19 norms. Photographs showing Tejasvi Surya without a mask during a rally on September 30 were also shared with the court. The state government reacted by submitting to the High Court that 684 people were fined for not wearing masks during the campaigning for the bye-election to RR Nagar in Bengaluru last week. The same report also mentioned around 18 non-cognisable reports of cases where people were found not wearing masks in public occasions. The submissions showed Tejasvi Surya was fined at Vyalikaval police station limits along with his associates.
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Karnataka govt defines 'green crackers' after HC raises questions
The Karnataka High Court said that crackers without the distinct green logo of CSIR-NEERI and PESO cannot be sold.
The Karnataka government on Thursday clarified that green crackers can be identified through the distinct green logo of the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) as well as quick response coding systems. "Green crackers packing can be identified through distinct green logo of CSIR-NEERI and PESO as well as a quick response (QR) coding system...The above features will assist in differentiating green crackers from conventional crackers," the new order issued by the Karnataka government stated. The High Court on Friday said that any cracker without the green logo cannot be sold and asked the state government if an officer had been designated to check if green crackers are being sold. The High Court also asked the state government to give wide publicity to the new order issued on Thursday and asked the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to show 'zero tolerance' to those who violate the order of selling only green crackers. The clarification from the Karnataka government came after a direction by the Karnataka High Court questioning the state government that it had not specified what constituted green crackers in its order. Earlier this month, Karnataka Chief Minister announced a ban on crackers during Deepaval. However, he soon retracted the ban, announcing that 'green crackers' will be allowed. On Thursday, after the High Court asked the state government to explain what a green cracker is, a new order was issued by Anjum Parvez, Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, stating the green logo of CSIR-NEERI and QR codes will help identify green crackers. "Green crackers are manufactured as per the formulation developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (NEER) lab and product approval is given by Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO)...Green firecrackers are available as sparklers, flowerpots and maroons etc," added the order. According to CSIR-NEERI, green crackers produce 30-35% less emission compared to non-green crackers. They also reportedly emit 125 decibels of sound,which is less than the 160 decibels emitted by non-green fireworks. The Karnataka High Court bench was hearing a petition filed by advocate Narendra Babu which claimed that bursting crackers during Deepavali could exacerbate COVID-19 owing to the pollution and smog generated. Read: What are green crackers? Here’s how they’re different
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