Railway police seize 97 Indian flapshell turtles being trafficked to West Bengal
Ballia (UP) (PTI): The Government Railway Police (GRP) has seized 97 rare Indian flapshell turtles, locally known as 'Sundari turtles', here while they were being smuggled from Azamgarh to West Bengal, officials said on Monday.
The seizure was made on Sunday at a platform of the Ballia railway station, the GRP officials said, adding that three people -- two from West Bengal and one from UP -- were arrested in this connection.
GRP Inspector VK Singh said the Sundari turles were kept in a sack by some people, who tried to flee the spot after as the police approached them.
Those arrested included Baki Mandal and Mahendra Pratap Shah from West Bengal and Hemant from Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkarnagar district.
During interrogation, the trio told police that they were taking the consignment from Azamgarh to West Bengal.
The species is protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
Indian flapshell turtles, assessed for the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species in 2018, are listed as "vulnerable".
According to police, they are trafficked for their meat in West Bengal and other states with a belief that its consumption increases sexual prowess.
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Complainants hail HC order dismissing CM's petition challenging Guv's order
Bengaluru (PTI): The complainants, who were granted sanction by the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot after they sought an order for probe from the special court against the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a site allotment case, on Tuesday hailed the High Court's verdict dismissing his petition challenging the approval.
The Chief Minister had challenged the approval given by Gehlot for an investigation against him in the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in a prime locality.
The Governor on August 16 accorded sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions submitted to him by the three complainants -- Abraham T J, Snehamayi Krishna and Pradeep Kumar S P.
“We had petitioned in the High Court seeking the dismissal of Siddaramaiah's plea. Whatever objections we had filed, the order has come accordingly, which is a matter of pleasure for us,” Abraham told reporters soon after a single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition.
When told that the Chief Minister may challenge the order in the division bench, Abraham said: “Let him challenge in the division bench. He will use his legal rights. Since he is moving the (High Court's) division bench, we are filing a caveat there.”
Krishna said: “We had brought to the notice of the High Court that Siddaramaiah’s role is there in the irregularities. Accordingly, the Honourable Court gave its order.”
Krishna claimed that there was "unshakable" documentary evidence available against the Chief Minister. “He will lose whichever court he goes to."
After completing the hearings on the petition in six sittings from August 19, Justice Nagaprasanna on September 12 reserved the verdict.
On August 19, Siddaramaiah moved the High Court challenging the legality of the Governor's order.
