Wadia defamation case: Court issues notices to Ratan Tata and directors of Tata Sons
Mumbai, Dec 17: A local court has issued notices against Tata Sons former chairman Ratan Tata, present chairman N Chandrasekaran and eight directors of the group along with the group chief operating officer in a defamation complaint filed by Wadia group chairman Nusli Wadia.
The notices were issued by the Esplanade court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate MI Lokwani last Saturday and posted the matter for further hearing on March 25, 2019.
Wadia had recorded his statement on December 14.
Apart from Tata and Chandrasekaran, the other respondents are Ajay Piramal, Amit Chandra, Ishaat Hussain, Nitin Nohria, Ranendra Sen, Vijay Singh, Venu Srinivasan, Ralf Speth and F N Subedar, the group chief operating officer.
Wadia filed the complaint in 2016 after he was voted out of some of the group companies, where he was a board member, claiming that Tata and the others had made defamatory statements against him after they removed Cyrus Mistry on October 24, 2016 as the group chairman of Tata Sons.
Wadia was on the boards of group companies like Indian Hotels Company that runs the Taj group of hotels, TCS, Tata Motors and Tata Steel among others as an independent director. He was voted out by shareholders at the specially convened general meeting between December 2016 and February 2017.
Wadia's counsel Abad Ponda informed a metropolitan magistrate court that the accused persons had alleged that Wadia was acting in concert with Mistry, and thus against the interests of the Tata group as a whole.
Wadia in his complaint claimed that he approached the court as he was not satisfied with the explanations the respondents had given him following his letters to them and his complaint seeks to initiate defamation proceedings against them under section 500 of IPC.
The magistrate, however, refused to issue process (notice) to Tata Sons observing that it is a company and not an individual person.
"It appears that complainant (Wadia) has made out a case against accused No 2 to 12 (Tata and others) but there is no such case made out against accused No 1 (Tata Sons) for the offence punishable under section 500. Hence issue process against accused No. 2 to 12," the magistrate said in his order.
Meanwhile, a Tata Sons spokesperson said all due processes were followed in relation to Nusli Wadia's removal as independent director.
"Tata Sons had, in exercise of its statutory rights, validly issued a 'Special Notice' seeking his removal. While Wadia has alleged that the contents of the Special Notice were defamatory, the matter is currently sub judice and Tata Sons strongly denies such allegations," the statement said.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
