Owing to a strange circumstance, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday issued a direction to External Affairs Ministry to facilitate to and fro transit of a NRI woman who is summoned to attend a hearing before it on August 6. The order came in a writ petition involving a doctor couple contesting a divorce case.
The court had earlier directed the contesting husband, a doctor from Udupi, and wife, a doctor in Muscat, to appear at a hearing scheduled on August 6, for attempting reconciliation.
But the wife’s counsel moved an application which revealed Foreign Regional Registry Office coming under External Affairs Ministry had issued a circular directing her name to be posted on the ‘Look Out Cells’ of all ports of entries to India and ordering to detain her if she was found in ports. 
The circular had been issued due to misconception of the family court order restraining her from taking their child with her, to Muscat, the counsel had stated while apprehending she might be detained when she would come for the hearing. The counsel asked the court to implead External Affairs Ministry as a party in the matter.
Following this, Justice Ram Mohan Reddy, directed the Ministry to ensure the woman is not detained and is allowed free access to reach Bangalore for the hearing and to fly back to Muscat subsequently, if at all a circular requiring such detention was in effect.
Notification stayed
The High Court on Thursday stayed the operation of a State government notification inviting applications for granting mining lease on about 275 acre virgin forest lands in Aihole.  The order followed a writ petition by Santosh B Melligeri of Bagalkot, who has challenged the public notification issued by Commerce & Industry (Mines) Secretary on July 16, calling applications for grant of mining lease on 275 acres land in Aihole village, Humnabad taluk, Bagalkot district.