CJI Lalit-led bench will hear pleas of Siddique Kappan & Navlakha, PILs on Monday
New Delhi, Aug 28: The Chief Justice of India U U Lalit-headed bench will hear the bail plea of Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan, a petition of activist Gautam Navlakha and some important PILs on Monday, his first working day in the Supreme Court as the CJI.
Justice Lalit was sworn in as the 49th Chief Justice of India on Saturday, a non-working day in the Supreme Court.
According to the cause list uploaded in the apex court website, CJI Lalit will hold the bench in the court number one with Justice S Ravindra Bhat on Monday.
Kerala-based journalist Kappan, arrested in October 2020 while on his way to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, where a young Dalit woman had died after allegedly being gang-raped, has approached the top court seeking bail in the case.
A Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had earlier this month rejected his bail application. Kappan was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the alleged Hathras conspiracy case.
His plea, on being mentioned for an urgent hearing, was directed to be listed on August 26 by former Chief Justice N V Ramana last week.
Chief Justice Lalit, along with Justice Bhat, will also hear an appeal filed by human rights activist Navlakha, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, against the Bombay High Court order of April 26, rejecting his plea that he be placed under house custody instead of being lodged in prison.
The case against Navlakha and other arrested accused pertains to the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017. Police had alleged that the event was funded by Maoists.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Lalit is scheduled to hear a number of fresh PILs on various issues.
The top court is also scheduled to hear a batch of pleas challenging the Karnataka High Court verdict which dismissed the petitions seeking permission to wear Hijab inside the classroom saying Hijab is not a part of the essential religious practice in Islamic faith.
On August 2, then Chief Justice N V Ramana, while hearing a plea for urgent listing of appeals and other petitions on the Hijab row, had said that the court would hear a batch of pleas challenging the Karnataka High Court verdict.
The top court on July 13 had agreed to hear the petitions challenging the Karnataka High Court verdict on the issue.
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UP govt sacks five doctors, orders action against 16 health officials for negligence
Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Brajesh Pathak on Friday ordered strict action against several health officials, including the dismissal of five doctors from service, over alleged negligence, dereliction of duty and irregularities in the health department.
According to an official statement issued by his office, five medical officers were dismissed for remaining absent from duty for a prolonged period without information and for staying away from medical work.
Those dismissed include Dr Alaknanda of the district hospital in Gorakhpur, Dr Ramji Bhardwaj posted under the Kushinagar Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Saurabh Singh posted under the Balrampur CMO, Dr Viklesh Kumar Sharma of CHC Jagdishpur in Amethi and Dr Monica Verma of CHC Dibiyapur in Auraiya, it stated.
The government also ordered departmental disciplinary proceedings against 16 medical officers, including Ambedkar Nagar CMO Dr Sanjay Kumar Shaival and Deputy CMO Dr Sanjay Verma, over alleged irregularities in the registration and renewal process of private hospitals, nursing homes and ultrasound centres, it added.
According to the statement, "the two officers were found guilty of deliberately violating government norms, misusing their positions and showing negligence in clearing files for personal interests."
"A preliminary inquiry conducted by a three-member committee, including an Additional District Magistrate, reportedly confirmed several complaints against them, following which Pathak ordered strict action."
Departmental proceedings were also ordered against Hardoi Medical Superintendent Dr Manoj Kumar Singh for allegedly failing to act against unauthorised private hospitals operating in the district and neglecting official responsibilities.
The health department has also sought an explanation from the Hardoi CMO over assigning senior-level responsibilities to a junior doctor despite the availability of senior officers in the district.
The statement said action has also been initiated against several doctors in separate cases related to alleged negligence in treatment, administrative lapses, improper medico-legal examinations and misconduct with colleagues.
Among them are Dr Shameem Akhtar of Prayagraj, doctors and a pharmacist posted at CHC Lambhua in Sultanpur, and two doctors at the district hospital in Mathura accused of negligence in preparing medico-legal reports in an assault case.
Departmental proceedings were also ordered against doctors posted in Balrampur, Varanasi, Badaun, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sambhal and other districts for alleged negligence in medical duties.
In another case, Dr Rituj Agrawal, an associate professor in the orthopaedics department of the government medical college in Badaun, faces disciplinary action over allegations of abusing and misbehaving with a woman doctor and another colleague.
Two doctors -- Dr Pratibha Yadav of Bahraich and Dr Rakesh Singh of Mathura -- have been awarded censure punishment in separate negligence-related cases.
The statement further said the deputation of Dr Aditya Pandey, who was posted with the State Health Agency under the cashless treatment scheme for government employees, has been terminated with immediate effect over alleged misconduct and inappropriate behaviour with a colleague.
He has been sent back to his original posting in Raebareli and departmental action has also been ordered, it added.
The government has also ordered withholding of salary increments in several cases. Dr Lalmani, a gynaecologist currently posted in Hamirpur, has been penalised with permanent stoppage of three increments and censure punishment over allegations of extortion from patients and misbehaviour during an earlier posting in Azamgarh.
Four increments of Dr Santosh Singh of Balrampur and two increments of Dr Nisha Bundela of Jhansi have also been withheld.
Action has also been directed against Dr Pawan Sahu, an orthopaedic surgeon at the trauma centre in Moth, Jhansi, after allegations of private practice against him were found to be true, the statement added.
