Former MP High Court Judge who had ordered tying ‘Rakhi' as bail condition joins BJP
Bhopal: Former Madhya Pradesh High Court Judge Justice Rohit Arya, who retired in April 2024, has officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nearly three months after stepping down from the bench. During his tenure, Justice Arya made headlines for his controversial judicial decisions, including denying bail to comedian Munawar Faruqui in a case related to alleged religious sentiments in 2021. He also gained attention in 2020 for a bail ruling that required an accused of molesting a woman to approach her and request a 'Rakhi' ceremony, a decision later overturned by the Supreme Court.
Justice Arya, whose courtroom demeanor also gained attention when he scolded a law school student for drinking water from his bottle, citing it as not a cafeteria, had sparked criticism and debate over judicial conduct.
The induction ceremony took place at the BJP State Office in Bhopal, where Justice Arya received his membership from Madhya Pradesh BJP Chief Dr. Raghavendra Sharma.
Born in 1962, Justice Arya began his legal career as an advocate in 1984 and earned recognition as a senior advocate in various fields including civil law, commercial law, and administrative law. He was appointed as a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2013 and became a permanent judge in 2015, serving until his recent retirement.
The same judge once scolded a law school student for drinking water from his bottle in the courtroom, saying it's not a cafeteria. pic.twitter.com/DeIJBglVG2
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Hospital wall collapse: CM orders suspension of executive engineer; kin of victims get solatium
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday ordered the immediate suspension of an executive engineer for the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital wall collapse that claimed the lives of seven people, during a high-level review meeting at Vidhana Soudha.
A compensation of Rs 5 lakh, as announced by the CM Siddaramaiah, was distributed to the families of seven victims who lost their lives in the tragedy on Wednesday evening, which occurred due to heavy downpour with gusty winds and hailstorm.
The meeting of municipal commissioners of the five corporations, chaired by the chief minister and attended by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, focused on fixing accountability and examining lapses that led to the tragedy.
"Why was soil dumped in a way that damaged the wall? Why did you not monitor this?" Siddaramaiah asked, pulling up hospital authorities during the meeting.
A statement from the chief minister's office said that the CM ordered the immediate suspension of the executive engineer of the Karnataka Health Systems Development Project (KHSDP).
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He also questioned the hospital authorities, asking why they failed to monitor the dumping of soil that weakened the structure.
The chief minister directed that a notice be issued to the head of the Hospital.
During the meeting, Siddaramaiah said the rains had caused extensive damage in the city, with over 250 trees uprooted.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to take necessary measures before the onset of the monsoon to avoid untoward incidents.
Commissioners of all five municipal zones in Bengaluru have been asked to take precautionary steps, including trimming dry and dangerous tree branches, the CMO said.
Siddaramaiah also directed them to get the silt cleared from stormwater drains to prevent flooding, and that immediate action be taken to remove debris and fallen branches from roads.
Further, he instructed that barricades be placed at underpasses where water stagnates and restricts public movement.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said in a statement that Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad distributed compensation cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased on Thursday.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed amid heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
Police said the victims, comprising three from Bengaluru, two from Kerala on a study tour and one each from Uttar Pradesh and Assam, had taken shelter near the wall when it suddenly gave way, trapping them under the debris.
The chief minister questioned officials over the dumping of soil near the wall despite knowing it could weaken the structure, and directed that a notice be issued to the head of Bowring Hospital.
Siddaramaiah, who had visited the spot soon after the incident along with senior officials, reviewed the situation and ordered a detailed probe into the collapse.
