HC issues notices to K'taka govt over punishment for erring civic officials under new BBMP Act
Bengaluru, Aug 10: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the state government on a public interest litigation (PIL) that seeks prescribing punishment to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (city corporation) engineers/officials under the new BBMP Act 2020 for failing to prevent illegal and unauthorised constructions.
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Vishwajith Shetty heard the petition by advocate Umapathi S, which points out that Section 252 of the BBMP Act provides the power to the state government for action against erring officers.
"Though there is delegation of power on the engineers to supervise illegal construction, yet there is no corresponding accountability on the part of erring officials. This is primarily due to the gross negligence on the part of the State to prescribe punishment under Section 252 of the BBMP Act," the petition says.
"Poor implementation will make even the greatest law ineffective. Therefore, the necessary rules should be framed at the earliest," the petition pleads.
Additional Chief Secretary in the Urban Development Department, and the BBMP Chief Commissioner are the respondents in the PIL.
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Nashik TCS case: Accused Nida Khan held in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Nashik (PTI): Weeks after she went into hiding, a female employee of the TCS unit in Nashik, accused in a case related to alleged religious conversion and sexual harassment of some women colleagues, has been arrested, police said.
Nida Khan was held on Thursday in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik said.
Khan is an accused in the Deolali Camp police station crime register number 156/26 here, he said.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police is probing nine cases of molestation and harassment at the IT major’s Nashik unit.
It had arrested eight persons, including a female operations manager, by registering nine FIRs after allegations of exploitation, attempt of forceful conversion, hurting religious sentiments, molestation and mental harassment of female employees at the TCS unit came to light.
The SIT had launched a search for Khan in different parts of Maharashtra. She is accused of targeting employees in a WhatsApp group, pressuring them to pray and eat non-vegetarian food.
According to the FIR, Khan allegedly advised women employees to dress and behave in accordance with Islamic traditions.
Some complainants have also alleged that they were coerced or pressured into adopting religious practices, including praying, changing dietary habits, and adopting religious symbols.
Besides Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) provisions for sexual harassment and defamation, Khan has also been booked under relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as the complainant belongs to a Scheduled Caste.
On April 18, she had moved the Nashik court seeking anticipatory bail and interim protection from arrest pending the plea hearing, citing her pregnancy. Her anticipatory bail plea was rejected by a court here on May 2.
TCS has clarified that it has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form for a long time, and the employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at the Nashik office have been suspended.
