Congress supporters clash in UP's Muzaffarnagar over biryani served at election meeting; 9 arrested
Muzaffarnagar: Several persons were injured in clashes among supporters of Congress's Muzaffarnagar candidate Nasimuddin Siddiqui over biryani, which officials said was being served at an election meeting without permission, prompting authorities to lodge a police case and arrest nine.
The election meeting was organised at the residence of former MLA Maulana Jameel, who recently switched over to the Congress, at Tadheda village under Kakroli police station on Saturday.
Biryani was to be served for lunch after the meeting, but clashes erupted as those present there scrambled for the first serving, officials said.
Police rushed to the spot and dispersed the violent mob.
A case has been lodged against 34 persons including Jameel and his son Naeem Ahmad under various sections of the IPC and for violation of the model code of conduct, Circle Officer Ram Mohan Sharma said, adding that nine persons have been arrested so far in connection with the incident.
He said security has been tightened in the village and additional forces have been deployed to check any further violence. Jameel switched over to the Congress from BSP last week. He was elected from the Meerapur assembly constituency in 2012.
Muzaffarnagar will vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 11.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
