SC seeks solution to redress complaints of law course aspirants
New Delhi, May 24: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) to come up with a solution to redress the complaints of candidates who appeared in the Common Law Admission Test 2018 (CLAT) and directed High Courts not to proceed with similar cases pending before them.
A bench of Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice Navin Sinha said there has to be a mechanism or redressal forum to look into the 251 complaints filed by the candidates.
"If such a dispute arises, is there a mechanism wherein these cases can be looked into and addressed so that candidates can be satisfied?" the court asked Kochi-based NUALS and directed it to come up with a wholesome solution by Friday.
"There should be some forum where the factual aspects can be looked into. Case-to-case questions will have to be looked into. They (NUALS) can appoint some authority to look into the case-to-case aspects and that will ease a lot of problems," the court added.
The court was hearing pleas filed by six CLAT candidates who sought direction to quash the CLAT 2018 conducted by NUALS on May 13 with the assistance of private firm Sify Technologies Ltd and to hold it afresh.
The petitioners had prayed for a stay on the publication of final result-cum-merit list till the disposal of their petitions.
They had moved the apex court on Wednesday and pleaded that examinees faced many technical problems during the online test, besides poor infrastructure at examination centres and lack of proper guidance from the staff.
The petitioners submitted that candidates across states faced serious problems at almost 200 online examination centres and said that the prerequisites of proper electronic and online infrastructure were not made available in the conduct of the exam.
The manner in which the examination was held had jeopardised the future of thousands of students who took the examination, they pleaded.
"For instance, at an examination centre at Hisar in Haryana, some students were seen attempting the examination till 7 p.m. whereas the exam was expected to conclude by 5 p.m. In essence, it is submitted that the petitioners and thousands of other similarly placed students were compelled to take the examination under grossly unfair conditions, seriously jeopardizing their result," the petitioner submitted.
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10 held for sale of prohibited narcotic substances in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): In a major crackdown, the Bengaluru police on Thursday announced the arrest of 10 people allegedly involved in the sale of prohibited narcotic substances in parts of the city.
Among them are three foreign nationals, including two women, they said.
With their arrests, police claimed to have seized 5 kg of MDMA (crystal), 1 kg of cocaine, 21 kg ganja, and 19 gms ecstasy pills and a two-wheeler used in the commission of crime.
The seized drugs are worth Rs 11.81 crore, with an estimated market value of Rs 23.63 crore, they added.
According to police, based on credible information received on various dates, officers and staff came to know that prohibited narcotic substances such as MDMA (crystal), cocaine, ganja, and ecstasy pills were being sold within the limits of Yelahanka New Town, D J Halli, Koramangala, Bommanahalli, and Pulakeshinagar Police Stations.
Acting on this information, cases were registered under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act at the respective police stations, and raids were conducted at the identified locations, a senior police officer said.
During these operations, a total of 10 accused persons were apprehended on different dates, he said.
During interrogation, the accused confessed that, with the intention of making quick money, they were procuring narcotic substances such as MDMA (crystal), cocaine, ganja, and ecstasy pills from foreign, interstate, and local unidentified suppliers at lower prices, and selling them to the public, including college students, the officer said.
Efforts are on to trace the foreign and interstate suppliers involved in supplying these narcotic substances. Investigation in the cases is in progress, police said.
All 10 accused were produced before the Court on different dates and have been remanded to judicial custody, they added.
