12 Indians among 17 killed in Dubai bus accident
Dubai, Jun 7: At least 12 Indians were among the 17 people killed in a horrific bus accident in Dubai when the vehicle, coming from Oman, rammed into a low-clearance sign, police and the Indian mission here said on Friday.
Nine persons were seriously injured when the driver of the bus, belonging to the Omani bus transport company Mwasalat, wrongly entered a road not designated for buses towards Al Rashidiya metro station here on Thursday.
Dubai Police authorities said that there are still some unidentified bodies and the number of Indians who died in the accident could increase further.
"With great sadness we inform that Indian fatalities in Dubai bus accident have gone up to 12," Vipul, Indian Consular General in Dubai, tweeted.
He said that the embassy officials are at the Rashidiya police station and mortuary to extend all assistance to the families of the victims.
"Our effort now is to get formalities completed soon so that mortal remains can be repatriated soon," he said.
The bus, carrying 31 passengers, crashed into a height barrier that cut the left side of the bus and killed passengers sitting on that side, the Gulf News reported.
Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.
"Deeply grieved by the unfortunate bus accident in Dubai that has claimed 12 Indian lives. My sincere condolences to the families," he tweeted.
Vipul also released a list of the Indians killed in the accident.
The names of those who passed away are Vikram Jawahar Thakur, Vimal Kumar Karthikeyan Kesavapilaikar, Kiran Johny Johny Vallithottathil Paily, Firoz Khan Aziz Pathan, Reshma Feroz Khan Pathan, Jamaludeen Arakkaveettil, Vasudev Vishandas, Rajan Puthiyapurayil Gopalan, Prabula Madhavan Deepa Kumar, Roshni Moolchandani, Ummer Chonokatavath Mammad Puthen, Nabil Ummer Chonokatavath.
The Indian Consulate had earlier tweeted that four Indians were discharged after first aid and three are receiving treatment in Rashid hospital.
"The Consulate along with other officials and community members met the concerned relatives as well as hospital and police authorities late in the night to assure of all help," it tweeted.
It also issued a helpline number- +971-565463903- for any queries related to those travelling on the fated bus.
The Dubai Police too expressed its condolences.
"The General Directorate of Dubai Police extends its sincere condolences to the families of the deceased who were involved in a bus crash at Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, which killed 17 passengers," it
Transport company Mwasalat issued a statement on Twitter announcing the suspension of their daily services between Muscat and Dubai and vice versa, until further notice.
"Mwasalat family expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured," the company tweeted.
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SC stays CBI probe into West Bengal govt officials' role in teacher recruitment scam
New Delhi, Apr 29: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Calcutta High Court order directing the CBI to probe the role of West Bengal government officials in a teacher recruitment scam. It, however, refused to stay for now the cancellation of the appointment of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff.
The top court was hearing a plea by the West Bengal government against a high court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, however, refused to stay the high court order cancelling the appointments and said it will hear the matter on May 6.
Observing that taking away the jobs of about 25,000 persons is a serious matter, the top court asked if it is possible to segregate the valid and invalid appointments on the basis of the material available and who the beneficiaries of the fraud are.
"We will stay the direction which says the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) will undertake further investigation against officials in the state government," the bench said.
Calcutta High Court had said the CBI would undertake further investigations with regard to the persons in the state government involved in approving the creation of supernumerary posts to accommodate illegal appointments.
If necessary, the CBI will undertake custodial interrogation of such persons involved, it had said.
Challenging the order, the state government, in its appeal filed before the top court, said the high court cancelled the appointments "arbitrarily".
"The high court failed to appreciate the ramification of cancelling the entire selection process, leading to straightaway termination of teaching and non-teaching staff from service with immediate effect, without giving sufficient time to the petitioner state to deal with such an exigency, rendering the education system at a standstill," the plea said.
Calcutta High Court last week declared the selection process as "null and void" and directed the CBI to probe the appointment process. It also asked the central agency to submit a report within three months.
"All appointments granted in the selection processes involved being violative of articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India, are declared null and void and cancelled," the high court said in its April 22 order.
The high court said those appointed outside the officially available 24,640 vacancies, appointed after the expiry of the official date of recruitment, and those who submitted blank Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets but obtained appointment to return all remunerations and benefits received by them with 12 per cent interest per annum within four weeks.
Observing that it had given "anxious consideration to the passionate plea" that persons who obtained the appointments legally would be prejudiced if the entire selection process was cancelled, the bench said it hardly had any choice left.
The high court held that all appointments involved were violative of articles 14 (equality before law) and 16 (prohibiting discrimination in employment in any government office) of the Constitution.
"It is shocking that, at the level of the cabinet of the state government, a decision is taken to protect employment obtained fraudulently in a selection process conducted by SSC for state-funded schools, knowing fully well that, such appointments were obtained beyond the panel and after expiry of the panel, at the bare minimum," the high court had said.
It said unless "there is a deep connection between the persons perpetuating the fraud and the beneficiaries" with persons involved in the decision-making process, such action to create supernumerary posts to protect illegal appointments is "inconceivable".
The division bench had also rejected a prayer by some appellants, including the SSC, for a stay on the order and asked the commission to initiate a fresh appointment process within a fortnight from the date of the results of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The bench, constituted by the high court chief justice on a direction of the Supreme Court, had heard 350 petitions and appeals relating to the selection of candidates for appointment by the SSC in the categories of teachers of classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 and group-C and D staffers through the SLST-2016.
In its 282-page judgment, the high court had said retaining appointees selected through "such a dubious process" would be contrary to public interest.
