Six security personnel killed in Maoist blast
Raipur, May 20: Six police personnel were killed and another was critically wounded in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Sunday when a landmine planted by Maoists ripped through the vehicle they were travelling in.
P. Sundarraj, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dantewada Range), told IANS: "Six personnel were killed while one was seriously injured."
Among the dead, five are from the Chhattisgarh Armed Force and one from the district police.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Bastar Range) Ratan Lal Dangi said that a road was being built on the Kirandul-Cholnar road.
"A joint team of Chhattisgarh Armed Force and district police personnel was travelling to Kirandul to provide security to the labourers and officials there."
The Maoists had reportedly planted a landmine in the Cholnar jungle area which exploded as the police vehicle drove over it, detonating with a deafening roar.
The blast killed five personnel instantly. A sixth person succumbed to his injuries later. The injured district policeman was referred to Raipur after first aid.
The powerful explosion shattered the jeep into many parts and left a 10-foot crater. The Maoists who were apparently watching from a distance took away the weapons including two AK-47, two Insas and two SLR rifles each.
Five of the dead were identified as Head Constable Ram Kumar Yadav, Assistant Constable Saligaram Vikram Yadav and Constables Teekeshwar Dhruv, Rajesh Singh and Virendra Nath.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar) Vivekanand Sinha told the media: "We have sounded a high alert in the area and launched a search operation for the Naxalites."
The blast took place two days before Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh is set to hold a public meeting in Dantewada. Officials said security would be further increased for the Chief Minister's meeting.
Maoists have been active in the Dantewada region for decades, running a state within a state.
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States not empowered to take over all private properties for distribution to serve common good: SC
New Delhi (PTI): In a majority 7:2 ruling, the Supreme Court on Tuesday held that states are not empowered under the Constitution to take over all privately-owned resources for distribution to serve the "common good".
A nine-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, however, said states can stake claim over private properties in certain cases.
The majority verdict pronounced by the CJI overruled Justice Krishna Iyer's previous ruling that all privately owned resources can be acquired by the State for distribution under Article 39(b) of the Constitution.
The CJI wrote for himself and six other judges on the bench which decided the vexed legal question on whether private properties can be considered "material resources of the community" under Article 39(b) and taken over by State authorities for distribution to subserve the "common good".
It overturned several verdicts that had adopted the socialist theme and ruled that states can take over all private properties for common good.
Justice BV Nagarathna partially disagreed with the majority judgement penned by the CJI, while Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia dissented on all aspects.
The pronouncement of judgements is underway.
The top court had, in the Minerva Mills case of 1980, declared two provisions of the 42nd Amendment, which prevented any constitutional amendment from being "called in question in any court on any ground" and accorded precedence to the Directive Principles of State Policy over the fundamental rights of individuals, as unconstitutional.
Article 31C protects a law made under Articles 39(b) and (c) empowering the State to take over material resources of the community, including private properties, for distribution to subserve the common good.
The top court had heard 16 petitions, including the lead petition filed by the Mumbai-based Property Owners' Association (POA) in 1992.
The POA has opposed Chapter VIII-A of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) Act. Inserted in 1986, the chapter empowers State authorities to acquire cessed buildings and the land on which those are built if 70 per cent of the occupants make such a request for restoration purposes.
The MHADA Act was enacted in pursuance of Article 39(b), which is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy and makes it obligatory for the State to create a policy towards securing "that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to subserve the common good".
