Details of site allotment in judicial layouts sought

Hearing a petition filed by former High Court judges, Justices Kedambadi Jaganatha Shetty, G P Shivaprakash and M P Chinappa and five others, the Division Bench comprising Justice Ram Mohan Reddy and Justice H Billappa directed the KSJDEHBCS to furnish details about allotment of sites in judicial layouts.

The Bench, citing media reports on illegalities in the allocation of sites, directed the respondents to file details of the number of sites allocated, including whether the beneficiary was an employee of the Judicial Department, or whether she/he was an associate member; the dimension of the sites, etc. “We need to set things right which have been misleading people. It is our duty to do so,” the Bench said.

The petitioners have sought a direction to quash allocation of sites to associate members of the Society, stating that it was a violation of the Society bylaws.

The petitioners said associate members could become members of the society and claim other benefits, but not sites as they are meant only for employees of the Judicial Department.

The petitioners had moved the High Court following allegations of allotment of sites to associate members at the Judicial Layout near Thalagattpura.

The Bench, seeking details within two weeks, adjourned the matter on Friday.

Stay on ‘Sathyananda’

A local court on Friday, ordered an interim stay on the release of the controversial movie ‘Sathyananda’, purported to be based on the life of Nityananda, the self styled godman, till December 2.

Additional Civil And Sessions Judge Ashwath Narayana passed the order on three interlocutory applications filed by Nityananda, restraining promotion, release and exhibition of the Telugu film, ‘Swami Sathyananda’ as well as every other version of the Kannada film, ‘Sathyananda’. The matter has been adjourned to December 2.

Nityananda’s counsel had argued that the Kannada film ‘Sathyananda’ was being dubbed into Telugu. “The defendants cannot take the very visuals shot for the Kannada film ‘Sathyananda’ and add Telugu dialogues over it and call the film ‘Swami Sathyananda’ and claim that it is an entirely different film. Such modification is never bona fide.

Those materials also indicate that the defendants intend to release the film in other languages also. If they are allowed to do so, the filing of the suit by the plaintiff would become infructuous,” counsel K V Dhananjay argued.