Mangaluru: Kavoor Police on Monday arrested three men from Koolur in the taluk charged with verbal and physical assault as well as attempt to murder of a Jharkhand-based man, under the assumption that the victim was a Bangladeshi citizen.

ALSO READ:  Dharmasthala case: High Court directs State to submit its opinion on PIL filed by Kusumavati

The arrested, Ratis Das, also called Lalu (32), Dhanush (24) and Sagar, assaulted a man from Jharkhand, identified as Diljan Ansari, on Sunday evening, police have said. The men are said to have inquired him about his religion, before declaring him to be a Bangladeshi and insulting him further. The victim has also alleged in his complaint that the trio attempted to murder him by hitting him with a rod, the officers added.

An FIR was filed at the Kavoor Police Station under BNS 2023, and the police team held the accused on Monday.

The officers have said that they are conducting further investigation into the incident.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict on the constitutional validity of a 2018 provision of the anti-graft law which mandates prior sanction for initiating a probe against a government servant in a corruption case.

While Justice BV Nagarathna said Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act is unconstitutional and needs to be struck down, Justice KV Viswanathan held the provision as constitutional while stressing on the need to protect honest officers.

Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, introduced in July 2018, bars any “enquiry or inquiry or investigation” against a public servant for recommendations made in discharge of official duties without prior approval from the competent authority.

The top court's judgement came on a PIL filed by NGO 'Centre for Public Interest Litigation' (CPIL) against the validity of amended section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Requirement of prior sanction is contrary to the Prevention of Corruption Act, forecloses inquiry and protects corrupt, Justice Nagarathna said.

ALSO READ:  Snag hits Akasa Air Pune-Bengaluru flight ahead of departure; airline deplanes passengers

"Section 17A is unconstitutional and it ought to be struck down. No prior approval is required to be taken... The requirement of prior sanction is contrary to the object of the Act, and it forecloses inquiry and protects the corrupt rather than seeking to protect the honest and those with integrity who really do not require any protection," Justice Nagarathna said.

Justice Viswanathan said striking down section 17A will be akin to throwing the baby out with the bath water and the “cure will be worse than the disease”.

"Section 17A is constitutionally valid subject to the condition that the sanction must be decided by the Lok Pal or the Lokayukta of the State...

"The safeguard of this provision will strengthen the hands of honest officers but also ensure that the corrupt are brought to book. It will guarantee that the administrative machinery attracts the best talent for the service of the nation,"Justice Viswanathan said.

The case will now be placed before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant for forming a larger bench to hear the matter for a final decision.

"Having regard to the divergent opinions expressed by us, we direct the Registry to place this matter before the Chief Justice of India for constituting an appropriate bench to consider the issues which arise in this matter afresh," the bench said.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, had argued that the provisions crippled the anti-corruption law as sanctions were not usually forthcoming from the government, which was the ‘competent authority’.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had appeared for the Union government.