Committee to probe lapses in Bengaluru central jail, says Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday announced the formation of a committee led by Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) R Hitendra to probe the lapses in Bengaluru central jail here.
The announcement comes after videos surfaced purportedly showing inmates enjoying special privileges like access to smartphones and private television sets in their barracks at the central prison.
The committee includes Inspector General of Police Sandeep Patil and Superintendents of Police Amaranath Reddy and C B Rishyanth as members, he told reporters after a high-level meeting with senior police officers.
Further, the Deputy Commissioners and the Superintendents of Police of respective districts where major prisons are located in the state, will serve as co-members of the panel, he said.
The Minister also announced transferring the Chief Superintendent of Bengaluru Prison K Suresh, and the suspension of Superintendent Imamsab Myageri and Assistant Superintendent Ashok Bhajantri.
Briefing reporters, Parameshwara said, "It has been decided that from now on an IPS officer will be in charge of Parappana Agrahara Jail (Bengaluru)."
He added that a command centre will be set up in Bengaluru, connecting all the CCTV cameras in the jail.
The BJP on Monday staged a demonstration against the lapses in Bengaluru jail. Its leaders were taken into preventive custody when they were marching to lay siege to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's office residence.
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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.
