JOIN USThe High Court on Wednesday rejected the anticipatory bail petition of priest Narasaraja Bhattar of the Melkote Cheluvarayaswamy temple. The priest is accused of being responsible for the theft of jewels from the temple.
Justice A S Pacchapure accepted the contention of the state government that the investigation into the theft was still under progress and it would not be right to grant him anticipatory bail at this juncture.
A Bangalore-based devotee had given a jewel encrusted garment to the temple, which consisted of 1,200 grams of gold and 30 kgs of silver. Bhattar is accused of theft of 800 grams of gold. A case has been registered at the Melukote police station. Bhattar is absconding.
Contempt petition
President of Advocates Association of Bangalore, K N Subba Reddy has filed a civil contempt petition in the High Court, alleging that the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had failed to maintain the roads in Bangalore and keep it free of potholes.
Hearing the matter, a division bench comprising Justice N K Patil and Justice B Manohar issued emergent notice to chief secretary S V Ranganath and BBMP commissioner M Lakshminarayana.
Reddy in his petition stated that the bad condition of the roads are being continuously highlighted by the media for the past one month. “Accidents are also on the rise because of the bad roads. In 2004, a PIL had been filed on the poor condition of the roads and the High Court had constituted a committee under Captain Raja Rao and directed it to check whether the roads are in accordance with the rules set by the Indian Road Congress,” the petitioner stated.
The PIL had been disposed of by the High Court after the BBMP submitted that the committee had made a total of 95 recommendations and they would be implemented. Reddy argued that the BBMP never implemented any of these recommendations and the roads were therefore in a pathetic condition. This amounted to contempt, he argued.
Contribution for Union
The High Court has restrained the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) from deducting one day’s salary of the employees towards contribution for the Escoms Union.
C Umesha and others had approached the High Court alleging that KPTCL Union issued a letter stating that one day’s salary in May 2013 would be collected towards the Union funds. The petitioners contended that the Union did not need any funds at all and already had fixed deposits, bank accounts and funds to the tune of Rs 12.58 crore.
They contended that any amount further deducted would be a monetary burden and result in hardship. The matter has been adjourned.