'English Vinglish' actress Sujata Kumar dies after battling cancer
Mumbai, Aug 20 : Actress Sujata Kumar, fondly remembered for playing late veteran actress Sridevis sibling in the film "English Vinglish" has died of cancer, said her sister Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, the actress-singer.
Suchitra tweeted that Sujata reportedly succumbed to cancer late on Sunday. "Our beloved Sujata Kumar has passed away and moved on to a better place leaving us with an umimaginable void. She left us an hour ago at 11.26 p.m. Life can never be the same again."
Suchitra, who is the former wife of filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, had earlier tweeted asking her fans and friends to pray for Sujata. "Please pray for my darling sister Sujata Kumar," she had tweeted.
On Saturday, Suchitra shared an update about her sister.
"It feels like somebody's plunged a hard cold knife into my heart and ripped the ground from under my feet as I sit outside ICU and pray for my big sister, my mother, my best friend, my darling Sujata Kumar as she battles for her life inside..."
Sujata worked in several TV shows like "Hotel Kingston" and "Bombay Talking". She also appeared in the Anil Kapoor-starrer "24" as Meghna Singhania.
Apart from "English Vinglish", Sujata has worked in films like "Raanjhanaa", "Salaam-E-Ishq" and "Gori Tere Pyar Mein".
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Karnataka High Court stays government order allowing Waqf Board to issue marriage certificates
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has stayed a Government Order (GO) issued on August 30, 2023, which authorised the Karnataka State Board of Waqf and its district officers to issue marriage certificates to Muslim couples.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice KV Aravind observed that the GO is inconsistent with the provisions of the Waqf Act, 1995, which does not empower the Waqf Board or its officers to issue marriage certificates. The Bench stated, "Issuance of marriage certificates is neither a matter of better administration of the Waqf Board nor incidental to its management."
The interim order was passed during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Alam Pasha, challenging the GO issued by the Under Secretary of the Minority, Waqf, and Haj Department. The petitioner argued that the Waqf Act pertains to the management of moveable and immoveable properties and does not include provisions related to marriage certificates.
Previously, under the now-repealed Kazi Act, 1988, Kazis officiating Muslim marriages were authorised to issue marriage certificates. The petitioner contended that with the repeal of the Kazi Act in 2013, there is no legal basis for the Waqf Board to assume this role. Instead, marriage registrations are governed by the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, or the Special Marriage Act, 1954, under the jurisdiction of district or State Registrars of Marriages.
The State government defended the GO, citing the difficulties faced by Muslim couples, especially those travelling abroad, in obtaining marriage certificates. However, the Court noted that administrative convenience cannot override the statutory limitations of the Waqf Act.
Notices have been issued to the Waqf Board, and the matter is scheduled for further hearing on December 7, 2024.
Advocate Saraswathi M appeared for the petitioner, while Additional Government Advocate Niloufer Akbar represented the State government.
