SC dismisses Karnataka govt plea on Bengaluru lakes
New Delhi, Nov 22: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by the Karnataka government challenging a National Green Tribunal order asking it to deposit Rs 500 crore in an escrow account for failure to check pollution in three lakes in Bengaluru.
The NGT, in its December 6, 2018 order, had observed that there was a failure of very high magnitude on the part of the Karnataka government and its authorities, including the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, in protecting the three lakes -- Bellandur, Agara and Varthur -- and also in keeping the 'Rajakaluves' or storm water drains joining the lakes clean and free from encroachments.
The tribunal had also asked the state government to submit a performance guarantee of Rs 100 crore.
Appearing for the Karnataka government in the apex court on Friday, senior advocate Devadatt Kamat said the state had to make separate budgetary allocation for depositing such a huge amount and that the amount directed to be deposited was neither a fine nor a penalty.
A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justice B R Gavai, however, refused to entertain the plea and dismissed it.
The NGT in its order had earlier said that there is a clear need to require the state and the BBMP to forthwith perform their duties to remedy the situation by preparing the requisite action plan and providing funds.
"In Spite of admitted grave situation, the State/BBMP have not taken any coercive measures against polluters or the concerned officers for their failure. No prosecution is shown to have been launched. No serious steps are shown to have been taken to remedy the situation. Thus, the State and BBMP are also liable to pay compensation for the past failure," the green bench had said.
The NGT had also formed a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Santosh Hegde to monitor the cleaning work and removal of encroachments.
"The State of Karnataka will deposit a sum of Rs. 50 crores by way of interim compensation for restoration of the environment with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). BBMP will be required to deposit a sum of Rs 25 crore in this regard to CPCB ," the tribunal had said.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
