Assam: Eminent singer, director Ramen Barua remains untraced
Guwahati, Jul 23: Assam Police have launched a massive search for eminent singer, music composer and director Ramen Barua, who has been missing since Monday, a police officer said.
Eighty-four-year-old Barua had left his home in Latasil area of Guwahati on Monday morning for a nearby temple but did not return home till late in the evening, when his family members lodged a missing complaint with the police.
According to available CCTV footage, he was last spotted near the new Gauhati High Court building adjacent to the temple around 10.15 am on Monday, the police officer said.
His mobile phone has been switched off since Monday and its last location was traced to an area behind the high court.
Popular singer Zubeen Garg joined the police in the search and till late on Monday, visited various parts of the city, including Lachit Ghat, Kamakhya Temple, Sukreswar Temple, Bhootnath Temple and Uzan Bazar Ghat.
An eyewitness informed the police that Barua was seen near Kachari Ghat on the banks of Brahmaputra on Monday, following which the NDRF and SDRF conducted a search along the river from Kachari Ghat to Pandu Ghat on Tuesday morning.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that he was deeply concerned by the sudden disappearance of Barua.
"His absence worries his family, friends, and countless admirers. I have asked Commissioner of @GuwahatiPol Sri Diganta Bora to mobilise all resources and take swift action to locate him," Sarma said in a late night post on X.
A radio artiste of fame, Barua has composed music for several Assamese films including 'Dr Bezbarua', 'Baruar Songsar', 'Mukuta', 'Lalita', 'Kokadeuta', 'Nati Aru Hati' among others.
Barua comes from a family of filmmakers, singers, music composers, artists, sportspersons and entrepreneurs and their over 100-year-old house in Latasil area is a prominent landmark of the city.
I am deeply concerned about the sudden disappearance of Sri Ramen Baruah, missing since this morning. His absence worries his family, friends, and countless admirers. I have asked Commissioner of @GuwahatiPol Sri Diganta Bora to mobilize all resources and take swift action to…
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 22, 2024
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K’taka HC judge whose controversial remarks triggered controversy expresses regret before open court
Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court judge, Justice V Srishananda, on Saturday expressed regret in open court after facing backlash over his controversial remarks in his recent court hearings, reported Bar and Bench.
Two purported video clips from Justice V Srishananda’s court hearing that show him making inappropriate comments went viral across social media platforms.
On Saturday, Justice Srishananda invited members of the Advocates Association, Bengaluru, and senior lawyers to his courtroom at 2:30 PM, where he read out a note expressing regret for inappropriate comments.
Quoting Advocates Association President Vivek Subba Reddy, Bar and Bench wrote, “He expressed regret for the comments and clarified that it was not his intention to offend any community or members of the Bar. He also requested the association to relay this message to all members of the Bar.”
Reddy further stated, “We also advised him to encourage young lawyers in the courtroom and refrain from making any irrelevant remarks during hearings.”
Another senior lawyer present during the session confirmed to the legal news portal that Justice Srishananda also addressed comments directed at a woman lawyer, who was seen in one of the videos being reprimanded by the judge. The judge Justice Srishananda clarified that his remarks were not intended to target her (woman lawyer) specifically, but rather pertained to the appellant she was representing. “He explained that his comment was meant to imply that the appellant seemed to know a lot about the other party,” said the lawyer.
In addition, Justice Srishananda assured those present that he would avoid making such comments in the future.
The controversy came to light on September 19, when a video clip from an August 28 Court hearing surfaced on social media, showing Justice Srishananda referring to a Muslim-majority sub-locality in Bengaluru’s Goripalya as "Pakistan." Hours later, another video from the same courtroom emerged, in which the judge was seen making a gender-insensitive remark.
Following outrage over the viral videos, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy, on September 20 took a suo motu cognizance and sought a report from the Karnataka High Court Registrar General in connection with the viral video.
