SC asks Centre, states to eradicate leprosy, remove discriminatory laws
New Delhi, April 24: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Central and state governments to work for eradication of curable leprosy, and remove provisions from laws that discriminate against and stigmatise those affected from the disease.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said asked the states to file a report, along with compliance affidavit, in six weeks on details about the steps taken to remove objectionable provisions from various statutes which discriminated against the persons suffering from the disease.
"The Centre and states shall rise to the occasion and act to eradicate the disease. Leprosy is a curable disease in the obtaining circumstances," said the bench.
The apex court's direction came after taking into considerations the submission of Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand who submitted that Central government was taking steps to ensure deletion of certain provisions from a number of enactments as these cast "stigma" on persons suffering from leprosy.
The court was hearing a PIL by Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy (VCLP) which has listed 119 state and central laws that discriminate against leprosy patients and stigmatise them.
Senior advocate Raju Ramchandran, appearing for VCLP, had said these provisions in the central and state laws discriminate against the persons suffering from leprosy and also violated the fundamental rights of persons affected by leprosy under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.
He had added that these provisions deny them equal treatment under personal laws, in matters of employment and appointment or election to public office, as well as access to and free movement in public places.
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Gujarat man held for impersonating govt official, duping people with forged letters
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Ahmedabad police have arrested a 29-year-old man who allegedly posed as a senior revenue official and used fake letters claiming to be from various government departments to cheat people, an official said on Sunday.
Mehul Shah, an engineer who manages two schools at Vankaner in Gujarat’s Morbi district, is accused of making lakhs of rupees with bogus documents and false claims, said inspector (crime branch) JK Makwana.
Shah had forged an appointment letter from the Ahmedabad district education officer (DEO) to offer a computer operator’s job in a government office to a complainant’s son. He also introduced himself as a trustee of a school and did not pay a man Rs 7 lakh due to him over the painting of a school building, the official said.
“Despite holding no official position in the state or central government, he used fake work permits and NOCs to cheat people of lakhs of rupees,” the police official said.
One complainant alleged that Shah identified himself as a top revenue department official and produced a fake letter from the chairman of the “department of science and research development” to make him install a siren and curtain in a hired vehicle but did not pay for the job, he said.
Bogus letters claiming to be from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ahmedabad DEO were used by the accused to cheat the complainants, the police official said.
Police have recovered from his possession fake identity cards and letters with headings like “bharat gaurav ratna shri samman council”, “chairman of department of science and research development”, “health and family welfare department”, and “road and building department”.
“The FIR is based on complaints by three victims. We appeal to the people to come forward and submit their complaints if they have been cheated by Shah in any way,” Makwana said.
