Mumbai: Amid backlash over an alleged protocol lapse during the felicitation of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Gavai, the Maharashtra government has officially declared the CJI a Permanent State Guest. The decision comes with updated protocol guidelines to ensure proper decorum during future visits of the country's top judge.
Under this status, the Chief Justice will now be entitled to all facilities listed under the Maharashtra State Guest Rules, 2004, including accommodation, transport, and security across the state during official visits. The announcement follows criticism from opposition leaders who slammed the state government for the absence of top officials during CJI Gavai’s recent felicitation event in Mumbai.
According to the protocol circular, formal reception and farewell procedures will be overseen by the State Protocol Subdivision in Mumbai and the respective District Collectors elsewhere. In the financial capital, either the Chief Secretary or a senior representative, along with the Director General of Police or equivalent, must be present to receive the CJI. In other districts, the responsibility will rest with the District Collector and the local police leadership.
Furthermore, as per the General Administration Department’s directive dated March 7, 2022, liaison officers will be appointed to coordinate arrangements. In Mumbai, this task falls to the Law and Judiciary Department, while in other districts, local courts will consult with the Collector’s office to designate a Group-A level officer.
The government has instructed all departments to ensure strict compliance with the revised guidelines to uphold the dignity of the judiciary.
The move comes in response to comments made by CJI Gavai during a Sunday event organised by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa. He expressed disappointment over the absence of key state functionaries, stating, “If the Chief Secretary, DGP or Mumbai Police Commissioner do not feel it necessary to come, it is for them to think about.”
Opposition leaders including Congress' Nana Patole and UBT's Ambadas Danve criticized the lapse, alleging it was a deliberate insult to the CJI, who hails from Maharashtra and is known for his Ambedkarite ideology.
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Udupi: Two men who are learned to have broken into Mahishamardini Temple at Kadiyali early Saturday morning were held by the locals on being alerted by the security guard and handed over to the police.
The thieves are said to have threatened the security guard with a knife, as he raised a ruckus on noticing the duo entering the temple, before escaping from the spot. The locals rushed to the temple premises and, on checking the CCTV camera footage, they found that two men had entered the premises and also escaped from there. Further, the locals looked for the thieves and found them near a petrol bunk in Kadiyali.
One of the thieves is learned to have developed a seizure and collapsed. His associate, who attempted to help him, escaped from the spot on noticing the people coming after them.
The locals, on finding that the health condition of the man who had collapsed was critical, reportedly gave him first aid and took him to the Ajjarakadu District Hospital with the help of social activist Nithyananda Olakadu.
They also succeeded in finding the second thief and handed both the men over to the police. The thieves are found to be natives of Kerala.
The security guard of the temple was lauded for his timely action.