Chai-wala-turned-crorepati to contest against BJP sitting MLA
Bengaluru: A 43-year-old man, who once used to sell tea to make a living and now a billionaire, has filed his nomination for May 12th Assembly polls as an Independent candidate from Bommanahalli constituency in Bengaluru.
With declared assets worth Rs. 339 crore, Mr Kumar is the richest Independent candidate to have filed nomination papers for the upcoming polls. He also owns a fleet of 16 cars, including imported brands though he wouldn't name them.
For Mr Kumar, who is from Kerala, struggle began early in life. After his father died, his mother worked as a house help to look after her three children.
With resources stretched at home, Mr Kumar could not study beyond the third standard. He left home for Bengaluru when he was just 11 in 1985.
With no place to stay in an alien city, he used to sleep in front of closed shops at night. One day, a kind-hearted man gave him food and offered a job in his shop. I was told to carry mangoes from one place to another, he said.
Soon after, he started selling tea at small companies and later he got more people and expanded his tea-selling business. I started earning more and even managed to save, he claimed.
His fortunes changed after marriage when the couple bought a plot in the city to build a house of their own. But he sold the land after somebody offered him double the price. It was his venture into the world of real estate that, according to him, yielded high returns.
"I started buying small plots and sold them for many times the price. That was in the late 90s," he said, claiming that he made crores in a span of six years.
Eight years ago, he set up his own company called M J Infrastructure in Bomanahalli. He says he is also into philanthropic work that includes building a church and a temple as well.
Pitted against the BJP's Sathish Reddy who holds the Bomanahalli seat, Anil Kumar seems confident of a win. I have the Almighty's blessings and support of the people, he said.
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Allahabad HC dismisses petition seeking permission to mount loudspeaker on mosque
Prayagraj, Jan 24 (PTI): The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed a writ petition seeking direction to the state authorities to permit the mounting of loudspeakers on a Masjid.
The court observed that the religious places were for offering prayers, therefore the use of loudspeakers was not a matter of right.
Dismissing the writ petition filed by Pilibhit-resident Mukhtiyar Ahmad, a two judge-bench, comprising Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Donadi Ramesh, observed, "Religious places are for offering prayers to the divinity and use of loudspeakers cannot be claimed as a matter of right, particularly when often such use of loudspeakers create nuisance for the residents".
At the outset, the state counsel objected to the maintainability of the writ on the grounds that the petitioner was neither a mutawalli, nor did the mosque belong to him.
The court also noted that the petitioner did not have locus to file the writ petition.
The term 'locus' is a legal concept that refers to the right of a person or entity to participate in a legal proceeding or bring a lawsuit.
