Kerala couple drive car recklessly under influence of drugs; police park crane on road to stop them
Kottayam (Kerala), Feb 6: A couple who recklessly drove their car under the alleged influence of drugs and hit several vehicles here was caught after a crane was used to block the road they were moving on, police said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Arun and his wife Dhanusha from Kayamkulam, were taken into custody by Chingavanam police.
They drove the car dangerously at a high speed on the busy MC Road from Mariyappally to Chingavanam, police said. As the car hit several vehicles it passed, local people tried to stop them but the couple did not even slow down, they claimed.
On being informed by the locals, police rushed to the area and eventually stopped the rogue car by parking a crane across the road.
Once the car was compelled to come to a stop, the couple was reluctant to come out of the vehicle. Police then had to use force to drag them out, they said.
The two persons were under the influence of drugs, police said, adding that they seized five grams of ganja from the car.
Traffic was disrupted for some time on the busy road due to the incident.
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Justice Nagarathna dissents on SC collegium’s recommendation of Justice Pancholi
Dissent cites seniority concerns, Gujarat High Court’s over-representation
New Delhi: Supreme Court judge B.V. Nagarathna has recorded a dissent note against the collegium’s recommendation to elevate Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi to the apex court, The Indian Express reported.
The five-member collegium, comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, J.K. Maheshwari, and Nagarathna, reached the decision with a 4–1 split. Justice Nagarathna, the lone woman on the bench, opposed Pancholi’s elevation, citing concerns over seniority and regional representation.
Justice Pancholi ranks 57th on the all-India seniority list of high court judges. Justice Nagarathna reportedly objected to the move, noting that it came less than three months after another judge from the Gujarat High Court, Justice N.V. Anjaria, was elevated to the Supreme Court. She argued that advancing Pancholi would bypass several senior judges and further increase Gujarat’s representation at the top court, while other high courts remain underrepresented.
Her dissenting note, according to reports, emphasized that such decisions could undermine the credibility of the collegium system and have long-term consequences for the administration of justice.
Justice Pancholi, who served nearly two decades in the Gujarat High Court, was transferred to Patna High Court in July 2023 and appointed its Chief Justice in July 2025. His elevation, along with that of Justice Anjaria, was intended to maintain Gujarat’s representation in the Supreme Court following the retirements of Justices M.R. Shah and Bela Trivedi earlier this year.
With a sanctioned strength of 34 judges, the Supreme Court follows criteria of seniority, merit, integrity, and regional balance in appointments. Justice Nagarathna’s dissent highlights ongoing debates about diversity and fairness in judicial elevations.
