HC seeks views of Maharashtra and Central govts on video recording of proceedings under SC/ST Act
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court has sought the assistance of the Central and Maharashtra governments to decide which proceedings are to be video recorded under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Section 15A (10) of this Act states that all proceedings relating to offences shall be video recorded.
In August 2019, a single bench of Justice Sadhana Jadhav referred the matter to the division bench for adjudication.
The HC had noted that the Act didn't mention what is to be considered as proceedings and that the word "proceedings" was not defined.
A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhaya and S V Kotwal on October 26 requested the Additional Solicitor General of India and the Advocate General of Maharashtra to address the court on the issue as it raises important questions.
The high court also appointed advocate Mayur Khandeparkar as amicus curiae (to assist the court).
The bench posted the matter for further hearing on December 15.
The single bench of Justice Jadhav in its 2019 order had said the issue regarding the implementation of this provision (section 15A-10) of the Act deserves to be referred to a larger bench to decide if proceedings would also amount to judicial proceedings, if it would be necessary to video record all such judicial proceedings even if the same are held in open courts, if hearing on bail pleas was proceedings as contemplated in the Act.
The bench was hearing bail pleas filed by three accused doctors Hema Ahuja, Bhakti Mehare and Ankita Khandelwal accused of abetting the suicide of their junior Dr Payal Tadvi in 2019.
Tadvi, a second-year postgraduate medical student attached to the civic-run BYL Nair hospital in Mumbai, committed suicide on May 22, 2019, in her hostel room after allegedly leaving behind a suicide note blaming the three seniors.
Dr Tadvi's family had alleged that the trio had harassed and ragged her and had also made casteist slurs against her.
The three accused were arrested and later released on bail.
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Bengal: On way to PM's rally, 3 mowed down by train amid dense fog
Kolkata (PTI): Three persons died and three others were injured after being hit by a train amid dense fog on Saturday, while travelling to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at Taherpur in West Bengal's Nadia district, a senior official said.
The incident occurred between Taherpur and Badkulla railway stations under the Sealdah-Krishnanagar section of Eastern Railway, he said.
Modi, whose helicopter could not land at Taherpur due to dense fog and low visibility, condoled the death of the “BJP workers” in his virtual address from Kolkata airport.
“I have come to know that some BJP workers, while travelling to the rally, lost their lives in a rail accident. My condolences are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones, and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Modi said.
The Eastern Railway official told PTI that the incident occurred in the morning when these people, who were travelling by a bus, had stopped the vehicle and walked to the railway tracks to answer nature's call.
"While three persons died on the spot, two others with injuries were admitted to a local hospital," he said.
Another person with minor injuries was released after having been administered first aid, the official said.
The deceased have been identified as Ramprasad Ghosh (74), Shaktipada Sutradhar (55) and Gopinath Das (38).
Meanwhile, Mahua Moitra, Trinamool Congress MP from Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district, alleged that the BJP ignored the incident and went ahead with the rally.
"Terrible tragedy hushed up at altar of @narendramodi ego. @BJP4India supporters brought from far Murshidabad for PM rally in Ranaghat today," she said in a post on X.
"4 went to answer nature's call and were killed by 31814 down local train near Taherpur. BJP ignored, blacked out & went ahead with rally," Moitra claimed.
Reacting to her remarks, the West Bengal BJP, in a post on X, asserted that the TMC "has always been adept at milking tragedies", and was being "disrespectful to the unfortunate victims of this tragedy".
The TMC alleged that BJP leaders have not shown "neither concern nor compassion" over the mishap.
"The loss of three lives in Taherpur should have united everyone in grief. But @BJP4India leaders showed neither concern nor compassion," it said in another post on X.
"At this painful moment, Smt @MamataOfficial and Shri @abhishekaitc put humanity above party lines and stood beside the families of the deceased," the party said.
TMC’s on-ground leaders promptly reached out to the grieving family members, ensuring them of help and assistance, it said.
"While Delhi’s rulers chase Bengal with arrogance, our leadership chose empathy. This is the difference between politics of power and politics of people!" the TMC added.
