KOCHI: Observing that 'forced' hartals were 'illegal', Kerala High Court today said there was a need for enactment of a law granting suo motu powers to a competent authority to deal with matters relating to claims, assessment of compensation and recovery for those who have suffered losses during such shut downs.
"There is need for enactment of law granting suo motu powers to a competent authority to call for claims, assessment of compensation and recovery etc in cases in connection with loss during hartals," the court said.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice A M Shaffique made the observations disposing of a batch of petitions against 'forced' hartals.
The petitioners submitted that the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, had lost about Rs eight crore on ticket sales and damage to window panes in stone throwing incidents by hartal supporters following a series of hartals in 2008.
So there should be a mechanism to compensate those who suffered losses.
The bench said only if such an enactment is there, the menace of 'forced hartals' can be dealt with.
"Forced hartals are illegal and calling for the same for any reason is becoming a normal practise," the bench held.
A full bench of the high court had in July 1997 banned bandhs and the apex court had dismissed the then Left Front Government's Special Leave Petition to get the order reversed.
However, bandhs were renamed as hartals, and are continuing to thrive in the state causing huge loss to various quarters.
CBI probe into Sunanda’s death likely
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre may hand over the Sunanda case to CBI as some of her family members have sought the same. The failure of the Delhi police to make any breakthrough in the case even after five months may lead the Centre to go for a CBI investigation.
Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi met home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday to apprise him of the progress in the case in the wake of a senior doctor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) making some allegations statements against Tharoor and Gulam Nabi Azad. .
Singh has asked Bassi to conclude the investigation speedily and it is reported that if there is no progress in the case within a fortnight, the case may go to the CBI.
Meanwhile, Pushkar's cousin Ashok Kumar Bhat also spoke up for a CBI inquiry on Wednesday.
Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi met home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday to apprise him of the progress in the case in the wake of a senior doctor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) making some allegations statements against Tharoor and Gulam Nabi Azad. .
Singh has asked Bassi to conclude the investigation speedily and it is reported that if there is no progress in the case within a fortnight, the case may go to the CBI.
Meanwhile, Pushkar's cousin Ashok Kumar Bhat also spoke up for a CBI inquiry on Wednesday.
Kerala nurses safe, says Chandy
NEW DELHI: All 46 Kerala nurses holed up in Tikrit in Iraq are safe and have been moved out, apparently by Sunni insurgents, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said on Thursday.
Chandy did not tell the media here how he had learnt about the movement of the nurses but added that the nurses were in touch with the Indian embassy in Baghdad.
" Due to the sensitive nature of the issue, we can’t divulge more details on the mission being planned to being back the nurses. Our main concern is their safety and our main aim is to ensure the safe return of those nurses who wish to return to India. We also expect UN’s intervention…” Chandy said at a press conference here, also attended by Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Kerala Congress leader K M Mani
One nurse told an Indian television channel that they were being moved by the insurgents to Mosul.
Chandy did not tell the media here how he had learnt about the movement of the nurses but added that the nurses were in touch with the Indian embassy in Baghdad.
" Due to the sensitive nature of the issue, we can’t divulge more details on the mission being planned to being back the nurses. Our main concern is their safety and our main aim is to ensure the safe return of those nurses who wish to return to India. We also expect UN’s intervention…” Chandy said at a press conference here, also attended by Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Kerala Congress leader K M Mani
One nurse told an Indian television channel that they were being moved by the insurgents to Mosul.
CBI ready to probe 'child trafficking'; Amicus curiae appointed
KOCHI: The CBI informed Kerala high court on Wednesday that it was ready to probe the incident in which children from other states were allegedly trafficked into Kerala. The CBI explained that since the parties in the case included people from other states, Kerala police would have certain limitations in investigating the case and hence it decided to take up the case.
When the CBI expressed its desire to probe the case, the court asked the Advocate General (AG) representing the government, if the government was averse to CBI probing the case. The AG replied in the negative.
The State government submitted the progress report of the probe it was conducting to the court in a cover with government seal on it.
The bench chaired by Chief Justice Manjula Chellur said a final decision on CBI inquiry will be taken after examining the report.
To make an initial investigation, Advocate Devan Ramachandran was appointed as amicus curiae.
When the CBI expressed its desire to probe the case, the court asked the Advocate General (AG) representing the government, if the government was averse to CBI probing the case. The AG replied in the negative.
The State government submitted the progress report of the probe it was conducting to the court in a cover with government seal on it.
The bench chaired by Chief Justice Manjula Chellur said a final decision on CBI inquiry will be taken after examining the report.
To make an initial investigation, Advocate Devan Ramachandran was appointed as amicus curiae.
Keralite wins prime property in Dubai radio show
DUBAI: A newly-wed Indian woman, who was visiting her husband in Dubai, has won a prime property in her home state in a competition run by a radio station, according to a media report.
Sruthymol V, 24, won the property three months after her marriage, when she flew into Dubai on a visit visa.
Sruthymol, who has graduated in computer science and engineering, was selected as the winner of 2,500 sq ft of prime property in her home state Kerala in a competition run by Malayalam radio station Hit 96.7 FM, the Khaleej Times said.
She 'hit the jackpot' when her winning message was picked by the station's randomiser from among a whopping 4.4 million messages the channel received for the contest held to mark its 10th anniversary in June.
"He (her husband Maneesh) had promised to get me a mobile phone when I go back to India if I don't get a job. But he decided to buy the phone soon because of these contests run by Hit 96.7 FM," the newspaper quoted her as saying.
To participate in the competition, listeners had to send free messages through the channel's mobile app.
Sruthymol sent 1,922 messages in total, which is low compared to some senders who texted more than 20,000 messages.
No radio contests have given away such generous prizes to its listeners in the UAE.
"This is a record number of listener interaction under our group ARN's radio network. We are checking if it is a record at the national or international level," said Maya Kartha, deputy content director at Hit 96.7 FM.
Located close to the Kochi Smart City project, a joint venture of the Dubai and Kerala governments, the plot won by Sruthymol is valued at about Rs 4 million.
The couple wishes to build a home on the plot which is in the frontage area of a gated community being developed.
Sruthymol V, 24, won the property three months after her marriage, when she flew into Dubai on a visit visa.
Sruthymol, who has graduated in computer science and engineering, was selected as the winner of 2,500 sq ft of prime property in her home state Kerala in a competition run by Malayalam radio station Hit 96.7 FM, the Khaleej Times said.
She 'hit the jackpot' when her winning message was picked by the station's randomiser from among a whopping 4.4 million messages the channel received for the contest held to mark its 10th anniversary in June.
"He (her husband Maneesh) had promised to get me a mobile phone when I go back to India if I don't get a job. But he decided to buy the phone soon because of these contests run by Hit 96.7 FM," the newspaper quoted her as saying.
To participate in the competition, listeners had to send free messages through the channel's mobile app.
Sruthymol sent 1,922 messages in total, which is low compared to some senders who texted more than 20,000 messages.
No radio contests have given away such generous prizes to its listeners in the UAE.
"This is a record number of listener interaction under our group ARN's radio network. We are checking if it is a record at the national or international level," said Maya Kartha, deputy content director at Hit 96.7 FM.
Located close to the Kochi Smart City project, a joint venture of the Dubai and Kerala governments, the plot won by Sruthymol is valued at about Rs 4 million.
The couple wishes to build a home on the plot which is in the frontage area of a gated community being developed.
13 hurt as bus overturns
KOZHIKODE: Thirteen persons were injured, some of them grievously, when the private bus they were traveling overturned at Pottammal in the city Wednesday.
Police said the injured were admitted to Kozhikode Medical College.
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