Dharmasthala case: High Court directs State to submit its opinion on PIL filed by Kusumavati
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to submit its opinion on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Kusumavati, mother of Soujanya, seeking a direction to the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to register separate FIRs and investigate 74 alleged unnatural deaths reported in Dharmasthala.
The matter came up for hearing before a Bench headed by the Chief Justice. Senior advocate S. Balan appeared on behalf of the petitioner.
The PIL stated that 74 cases of unnatural deaths had been reported within the jurisdiction of a small outpost police station in Dharmasthala village. While the State government had constituted an SIT to investigate these cases, the SIT had registered only a single FIR and failed to register separate FIRs for the remaining cases involving alleged murders, disappearances and deaths.
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Arguing before the court, senior advocate S. Balan submitted that the occurrence of 74 unnatural deaths in a small village and conducting a criminal investigation through a single FIR was not a legally proper procedure.
Intervening on behalf of the State, the government counsel submitted that the government had not yet received the relevant records and, without them, it was not possible to place its opinion before the court.
Responding to this, the Chief Justice observed that the issue before the court was clear, that separate FIRs had not been registered in relation to the 74 unnatural deaths. The court directed the State government to obtain the available records from the court and submit its opinion accordingly.
The High Court adjourned the hearing to February 3, when the matter will be taken up for detailed consideration.
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Bengaluru: Commercial building fire brought under control, two rescued
Bengaluru (PTI): A fire broke out in a multi-storey commercial building here on Friday evening, following which two people who were trapped on the terrace were safely rescued, officials said.
The incident occurred at around 5.30 pm at a commercial building located on Coles Road, they said.
However, no casualties were reported, officials added.
According to officials, the blaze started on the terrace, where a pantry and storeroom are located. The situation led to panic as the building is located adjacent to a petrol bunk, raising fears of a possible explosion.
Two people trapped on the terrace due to the fire were rescued by a police team along with Fire and Emergency Services personnel, a senior police officer said.
Four fire tenders were pressed into service, and after nearly an hour of intense firefighting, the blaze was brought under control.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
