Families of Anti-CAA activists question selective application of 'bail is the rule' principle
New Delhi: The families of activists imprisoned after the 2020 Delhi riots, including Umar Khalid, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Khalid Saifi, and Athar Khan, have voiced concerns over their prolonged detention. They argue that despite the Supreme Court's assertion that "bail is the rule," the activists continue to remain behind bars.
At a public meeting organized by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (ACPR), Umar Khalid's father, S.Q.R. Ilyas, questioned the impartiality of the judiciary, pointing to the continued incarceration of his son and others. He also raised concerns about the relationship between the executive and judiciary, citing a recent instance where the Chief Justice of India invited the Prime Minister for a publicised religious ceremony.
The families of these activists, who were charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in connection with the anti-CAA protests, highlighted their struggles. Farzana Yasmeen, the sister of Meeran Haider, expressed her family's pain but noted that Haider remains proud of raising his voice for justice. Athar Khan's mother, Noor Jehan, also voiced frustration, saying their case had appeared in court 62 times without a hearing.
Khalid Saifi’s wife, Nargis Saifi, highlighted the disparity in the judicial system, pointing out that her husband has been denied bail for over four years, while individuals accused of more severe crimes like rape and corruption have been granted bail.
Several prominent figures, including Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, attended the meeting. Singh criticized the RSS and its influence, arguing that the organization poses a threat to India's democracy and constitution.
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BMTC collects over Rs 19 lakh as fine from those travelling without tickets, occupying ladies seat
Bengaluru (PTI): The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has collected over Rs 19 lakh as a penalty from 10,069 passengers who were penalised for travelling without tickets and occupying seats exclusively reserved for ladies in the last three months, officials said on Thursday.
The checking staff of BMTC have intensified checking of buses operated in and around Bengaluru City to detect ticketless travelling by passengers, they said.
According to BMTC, during the months of August, September and October, the checking staff checked 57,219 trips and penalised 8,891 ticketless passengers by collecting Rs 17,96,030 as penalty and 5,268 cases were booked against conductors for their dereliction of duty.
During the same period, they have also penalised 1,178 male passengers for occupying seats exclusively reserved for lady passengers and imposed fines by collecting Rs 1,17,800 in accordance with the KMV (Karnataka Motor Vehicle) Rules of the MV Act of 1988.
"In total, during the months of August, September and October, 10,069 passengers were penalised and Rs 19,13,830 was collected," the BTMC officials stated.
