Assault case: Four accused arrested
Bantwala, June 13: Local police arrested four accused on Wednesday on charges of helping the main accused in assaulting two BJP workers at Baddakatte in the town two days ago.
The accused are identified as Deepak (27) of Kajebail, Pawan (26) of Agrabail, Shailesh (26) and Ranjith (25) of Bantwala and they were produced before the court. Other accused Surendra Bantwala, Thilak, Manohar, Pradeep and Sathish were absconding. These four accused were arrested as they have helped the main accused to abscond after the incident, according to police.
When the victims Ganesh Rai Mani and Pushparaj have been to a hotel for lunch at Baddakatte, Surendra Bantwal and others have assaulted them and tried to kill them, according to a complaint.
A video of Surendra Bantwal who was insulting the victims with foul language and flashing a talwar, was viral in social media.
It is said that Bhavith and others have barged into a hair saloon and assaulted Dheekshith. In retaliation to this incident, Surendra Bantwal and others tried to kill the BJP workers, it is alleged.
Taking both the incidents as a challenge, Bantwala police formed teams to nab the accused. Now, after the incident, the police arrested four members on charges of helping the main accused in the case.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
