HC notice to govt on Madani's bail plea

Justice N Ananda issued notice to the City Crime branch and also gave a week’s time to file objections.

In his petition, Madani contended that there was no prima facie evidence of his involvement in the blasts and also stated that his travel programme from 2007 were recorded by the Kerala police and it clearly showed that he was not in Kodagu as recorded by the Karnataka police.

He also stated that he was falsely implicated in the case based on the statement of the co-accused. The Madras High Court had also held that the Court could not rely on such a statement and had acquitted him in the case related to Coimbatore blasts, he stated.
He maintained that he could be granted anticipatory bail as the police had already completed the investigation and filed a chargesheet.

The PDP leader has sought anticipatory bail in view of the Bangalore police filing an additional chargesheet on June 11 listing him as the 31st accused in the blast cases. The fifth fast track court had refused to entertain his anticipatory bail application on July 9. 

HC upholds GO

The HC has upheld the State government’s order of disallowing private shopkeepers to sell the government-printed textbooks for the students from Class I to Class X.

Justice Mohan Shantan Goudar dismissed a petition filed by Jayasheela Stores and many other traders who had demanded permission from the Government to allow them to sell the government textbooks.

The court observed that the objective behind the government printing and distributing the books is to reduce the financial burden on the students, especially the students from weaker section in rural areas. 

“Traders would sell more quantity of textbooks if such permission is given to them,” the court observed.

Justice Goudar maintained that the government was giving a commission of 17 per cent to the traders for selling them. Now that amount is saved and the students are getting books at a very reasonable price.

HC declines to grant stay

The High Court on Wednesday declined to grant stay on the Government Order (GO) for holding bye-elections in 13 village and four district panchayats.

Questioning the government order on June 28 and July 2  to hold by-elections in 17 places on August 1, Mohan Shetty and others had filed a petition. Refusing to grant stay on its interim divisional bench’s order, Justice N K Patil and A S Bopanna asked the State Election Commission to file an objection in this regard.

The applicants had contended that holding the by-election is unwarranted since the term of the taluk and district panchayat was coming to end in five months. Holding the election will be a wastage of public money, they reasoned.