MCC issues Occupancy Certificate to 'Solitaire' after Supreme Court's intervention
The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) recently issued Occupancy Certificate to residential building Solitaire situation at Hat Hill in the city after Supreme Court’s direction to stop delaying in issuance of the certificate.
The promoter of the building Land Trades Builders and Developers, had moved to Supreme Court against the MCC’s inability to process the application for Occupancy Certificate for the building. The apex court upheld its order dated 19-07-2019 upholding the validity of the licence of the building and directed MCC ‘to consider the issuance of completion certificate in accordance with law, expeditiously’.
"Despite the clear court directive, the City Corporation had taken no initiative during the past four months to issue the Occupancy Certificate though the builder had fulfilled all the requirements. The Fire Department too had promptly complied with the court order and given its clearance. Hence there was no valid reason for the City Corporation to withhold giving the Occupancy Certificate" a press release from the company stated.
"Customers who had purchased flats in the building were experiencing unnecessary hardship due to City Corporation’s delay as many were forced to continue to stay in rented house while paying installment on Home Loan. Some flat owners were having difficulty in redeeming tax relief on Capital Gains Tax. The deadline given by RERA to file Completion Certificate for the project too would have expired in the first week of December. Due to this reason, and also to protect the interests of the flat owners, the builder was forced to approach the Supreme Court for relief" it further added.
On 25-11-2019 while considering the builder’s plea, the court enquired with the Counsel for City Corporation about why the Occupancy Certificate had not been given and whether it would be given or not. The Counsel responded that it would immediately comply with the Court Order. Subsequently, he produced the certificate before the court on 29-11-2019 and handed it over to the builder.
“I am grateful to Hon’ble Supreme Court for ensuring justice to me and my customers,” said K. ShrinathHebbar, proprietor of Land Trades Builders & Developers. “It is regrettable that citizens have to repeatedly approach the highest court in the land to get justice even after favourable order is passed. Legal remedies like PIL are meant to protect citizen’s rights. The courthas made a clear distinction between public interest and private interest and showed that it will not allow anyone to misrepresent PIL for making unlawful gain. This experience has strengthened my faith in the justice delivery system,” he said.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
