K'taka HC grants one week for victims' lawyer to reply on vakalat validity
Murugha Math seer rape case
Bengaluru, Oct 28: The Karnataka High Court on Friday granted a week's time to the advocate representing the survivors in the Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru rape case to file objections to the Lingayat seer's claim on the validity of the 'vakalat' filed on their behalf.
The pontiff has been in custody since September 1 in the case under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Two girls studying in a school run by Murugha Math in Chitradurga district had complained about sexual offences by Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, the chief pontiff of the math.
In the bail plea filed on behalf of the pontiff, the legality of the 'vakalat' filed on the girls' behalf has been questioned. The matter was heard by the single judge bench of Justice Srinivas Harish Kumar.
Swamini Ganesh Mohanambal, the advocate for the seer, argued that one Mani has filed the 'vakalat' on behalf of the girls claiming to be the guardian of the two children but there are no documents to show that the alleged victims have consented to the 'vakalat'.
The HC, therefore, granted one week time to file a written objection to this argument and adjourned the case.
Earlier in the day, police submitted a 694-page charge sheet in the Chitradurga district sessions court against the Murugha Math chief pontiff in the rape case.
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China confirms its support to Pakistan during four-day conflict with India
Beijing (PTI): China, for the first time, has confirmed that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during the four-day conflict with India last year, official media reports here said.
China's state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, a key developer of China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design.
Zhang had provided technical support to Pakistan during the four-day war last May, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported, quoting CCTV.
Pakistan's air force operates a fleet of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, produced by an AVIC subsidiary.
"At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” Zhang said.
What drove his team was the "desire to do an even better job with on site support” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential”, Zhang told CCTV.
“That wasn’t just a recognition of the J10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out,” he said.
