Mangaluru (Karnataka), Mar 5 (PTI): Forty-five inmates of Mangaluru jail were admitted to the government Wenlock Hospital on Wednesday after complaining of diarrhoea and related issues, officials said.
One of them is in critical condition and is receiving treatment in the hospital's ICU, they added.
According to jail officials, the inmates were served rice and sambar for lunch and ‘avalakki’ (flattened rice) for breakfast. They reported discomfort only at around 3 pm after which all 45 inmates were taken to the hospital in police vehicles under security and admitted for treatment.
Commissioner of Police Anupam Agarwal visited the hospital and spoke to the doctors attending to the inmates.
Speaking to the media later, Agarwal said food samples had been sent for testing and that the cause of the suspected food poisoning would be determined once the report was available.
He noted that the jail houses 350 inmates, of whom only 45 were affected.
He also confirmed that one inmate is in serious condition and has been admitted to the ICU.
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Bengaluru: Karnataka’s district judiciary is facing a significant shortage of judicial officers, with approximately 27.5% of positions across the state's district courts remaining vacant.
According to data cited by The Times of India on Tuesday, out of a total of 21,541 positions, 5,926 remain unfilled, leading to concerns about the efficiency of the state's justice system.
Bengaluru city is particularly affected, with 835 vacancies out of 2,510 sanctioned posts. Bengaluru Rural courts follow closely with 532 vacant positions from a total of 1,003 sanctioned roles. Mandya district shows an alarming vacancy rate, with 376 vacancies against 844 sanctioned positions.
Several other major districts are also grappling with alarming staffing deficits, including Mysuru (299 vacancies) Belagavi (345), Tumakuru (279), Dakshina Kannada (312), and Hassan (207).
Apart from vacancies of judicial officers, 243 of the 1,395 sanctioned posts for district judge, ad-hoc district judge, senior civil judge and civil judge remain vacant, the report added.
Legal experts have stressed that addressing the judicial vacancy crisis should be a priority for the state government to ensure the effective functioning of the justice delivery system. These staffing shortages may contribute significantly to case backlogs and undermine public confidence in the judiciary.
Meanwhile, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs M.B. Patil, recently stated in the legislative assembly that efforts to fill the vacancies are underway. He cited a notification from February 2025, which will see 158 civil judge positions filled in the near future.