Bengaluru rains: Several areas, roads inundated; traffic affected
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Bengaluru (PTI): Torrential rains overnight brought the capital city of Bengaluru to its knees on Monday as several areas were inundated, and water-logging on roads including arterial ones hit traffic flow while boats and tractors were pressed into service in certain parts.
With several lakes in the city overflowing and stormwater drains flooded, several low-lying areas bore the brunt, with water entering houses and affecting normal life.
Water-logging in localities like Rainbow Drive layout and Sunny Brooks Layout on Sarjapur Road among others were to such extent that tractors and boats were used to ferry students and office goers in the morning.
There are reports of several areas on Outer Ring Road that houses some of the IT companies being affected by rains and flooding.
"There have been heavy rains in Bengaluru, I have spoken to the Commissioner (BBMP) and other officials. I have asked officials to depute two State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) teams to Mahdevapura and Bommanahalli zones in the city that have been worst affected, with boats and other equipment..also engineers are there," Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, he has instructed officials to see to it that water is drained out from the inundated roads at the earliest.
"There is a plan on how to create a temporary drain and how to go about it (drain out water), it will be operationalised today," he added.
Noting that due to heavy rains on Sunday, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board's (BWSSB) unit that manages Cauvery water supply to city at T K Halli has been flooded and has caused damage to machinery there, Bommai said, he will be visiting there to inspect the spot.
"Already BWSSB chairman, engineers, Urban Development Secretary and other officials are there, work on draining out water is underway...probably by afternoon or evening things will be under control. All technical and emergency works are underway," he added.
However, BWSSB has warned of water supply disruption in several areas of Bengaluru on Monday and Tuesday.
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Lakhimpur Kheri violence case: SC expresses disappointment over non-production of witnesses in trial
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday expressed disappointment over the non-production of witnesses in the ongoing trial against Ashish Mishra, son of former Union minister Ajay Mishra, and others in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the status report filed before it by the Uttar Pradesh government has not assigned any reason whatsoever for the non-production of witnesses.
It noted that no witnesses have been examined in the trial for the last two months.
"We direct the presiding judge to take lawful measures to secure the presence of witnesses," the bench said.
It asked the trial judge to make an endeavour to conclude the trial in a time-bound manner, and also to file a status report before it.
The trials in two cases related to the incident are going on before a court in Uttar Pradesh.
The bench noted that in the first case, out of 131 witnesses to be examined, 44 have been examined, 15 have been discharged and 72 are still to be produced.
In the second FIR, out of 35 witnesses, 26 have been examined and nine were left, it said.
Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for Ashish Mishra, said that as per the latest status report filed by Uttar Pradesh, 44 witnesses have been examined so far in the first FIR.
"No witnesses have been examined in the last two months," Dave said.
He argued that the last status report filed by the state in March also said that 44 witnesses had been examined.
"What have you done from March till today?" the bench asked the counsel appearing for Uttar Pradesh.
The state's counsel said that 3-4 witnesses were summoned for the recording of their deposition during the trial.
The bench said at least 7-8 witnesses should be summoned instead of three or four for a day, so that even if some of them do not turn up, the trial court could proceed with the recording of statements of those appearing before it.
The top court also wondered how official witnesses can remain absent during the trial.
"We are disappointed to note that the so-called status report does not assign any reason whatsoever for non-production of witnesses...," the bench said.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the relatives of the farmers who were allegedly mowed down in the incident, said the apex court will have to do something regarding the manner in which the trial was going on.
The bench noted that besides the two FIRs, another FIR was registered in October last year concerning alleged witness intimidation.
It said that, as per the state's status report, the chargesheet was filed against the main accused in that case.
The bench noted that the status report reveals that, as far as Ashish Mishra is concerned, his alleged role in the third case is still being investigated.
The top court directed the investigating officer of the third case to conclude the pending probe and ensure that the appropriate report is filed before the concerned court within four weeks.
The bench posted the next hearing in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case for July.
On October 3, 2021, eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Tikunia in Lakhimpur Kheri district during a protest by farmers against Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area.
Four farmers were mowed down by a sports utility vehicle. A driver and two BJP workers were then allegedly lynched by angry farmers. A journalist also died in the violence.
In one of the cases, the trial court in December 2023 framed charges against Mishra and 12 others for alleged murder, criminal conspiracy and under other penal laws in the case of the farmers' deaths, paving the way for the trial.
