Firm compromises national security, it's shocking: Karnataka High Court
Bengaluru (K'taka) (PTI): The Karnataka High Court has refused to interfere in the investigation against a company and its director after the court found out that they had compromised national security.
I do not find any merit to interfere or interdict the investigation against the petitioners, as any interference would amount to putting a premium on the acts of the petitioners for having compromised the security of the nation...," Justice M Nagaprasanna has said.
In his judgement on October 17, he dismissed the criminal petition filed by IB Track Solutions Pvt Ltd and its director Sudhendra Dhakanikote. The company is based here, and the petition sought to quash the case pending before the I- ACMM court based on a complaint by the directorate of revenue intelligence.
The company is engaged in procuring and supplying of e-seals with radio frequency identification (RIFD) technology which are placed on containers exported from India. The seals are manufactured by Leghorn Group SRL, Italy, and the Indian company is the authorised distributor. The e-seals are attached to containers used for exports and can be accurately read by a handheld device operated by a Customs officer at the port gates concerned.
The company participated in the scheme of the Union government for implementing e-seals of cargo by exporters. The Neptune e-seal distributed by the company was said to be unbreakable without physically breaking the stem of the seal. It was alleged that on certain occasions the seals though not tampered appeared to be tampered and corrective measures were immediately taken.
The directorate-general of analytics and risk management, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs issued a letter to the company not to sell the e-seals manufactured by the Italian company in October 2018. Subsequently, the contract with the Indian company was terminated and a case filed under the Information Technology Act and Indian Penal Code against the Indian company and its director.
The allegation was that the company had tampered the e-seals regularly and they were being scanned at a distance of few metres without being in locked condition and e-mails of the company indicated that they had switched off the tampering alerts that led the containers with tampered seals also to get exported.
The High Court quoted from the investigating officer's enquiry of Sudhendra Dhakanikote and said his statements shock the consciousness of the court.
Dismissing the petition, the court said, What passes through the container if not detected can definitely pose a serious threat to any of these to the nation. The answers given by the 2nd petitioner would shock the conscience of the court, at what he says that they did it in their business interest. Such business houses generating vested interest of business cannot be permitted to sacrifice the interest of the nation, as the security of the nation and its interest, economic or otherwise, is paramount in comparison to any vested interest of any business house in the nation. Any fact of security of the nation should not be permitted to be compromised come what may."
In June this year, the court quashed the case against David Mathai who it found was not a director of the company as alleged and he had no role to play in the affairs of the company.
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Davanagere South bypoll: Cong Muslim leaders allege internal conspiracy to defeat party candidate
Bengaluru (PTI): A rift within the Karnataka Congress surfaced on Friday, a day after the bypolls to two Assembly constituencies in the state, as a group of Muslim leaders alleged a "conspiracy" by some of their own senior party leaders to defeat the official candidate in Davanagere South.
However, they asserted that despite efforts by some within to project that Congress "betrayed" Muslims, the party candidate Samarth Mallikarjun will win in Davanagere South, the constituency where the community has a significant presence.
Chief Whip in the Legislative Council Saleem Ahmed, MLAs Rizwan Arshad, Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, MLC Bilkis Bano, and other Congress leaders addressed a joint press conference regarding this at the party office here.
"It is a sad thing that some senior leaders of our own party have conspired to defeat the Congress, despite this minorities have voted for the Congress. KPCC President (D K Shivakumar), the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) and the AICC General Secretary (Randeep Singh Surjewala) are aware of this. People have voted for Congress, its ideology and its five guarantee schemes," Ahmed said.
Noting that Samath Mallikarjun was given a ticket after taking all minority leaders of the party into confidence and following their consent, he said, "But after that because of some misconceptions, conspiracies have been hatched. But still, I'm confident that Congress candidate Samarth will win".
According to party sources, these Muslim leaders have also complained to AICC and state party leadership regarding attempts for "internal sabotage" in Davanagere South.
Though the leaders did not indicate who they were accusing. Several party sources said their attack was directed at Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, among a few others.
Khan, who had openly demanded the Davanagere South ticket for a Muslim candidate, had initially stayed away from campaigning in the segment, citing his Kerala poll responsibilities. However, he addressed a press meet along with Samarth's father and Minister SS Mallikarjun at the request of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
MLA Arshad said that there was a massive social media campaign against the Congress party, by the BJP, SDPI and Independents, alleging "betrayal" of the minorities by the Congress. Some within the party, too, tried to project the same.
"We indeed demanded a ticket for the minority, and the party considered it. However, since we, as minority leaders, had to provide a unanimous candidate, we only put forward Abdul Jabbar's name because he is the MLC from the region, and he also pressured us. I think we first failed there, as ground-level party workers did not accept it and some other leaders believed he wasn't that popular," he said.
Arshad noted that the party finally named Samarth Mallikarjun as the candidate "after considering all factors and taking all Muslim leaders into confidence".
"However, some of us Muslim leaders who worked for the party's official candidate were projected as anti-Muslim on social media," he claimed.
Some leaders who accepted the party's decision to nominate Samarth as the party candidate during the meeting called to decide it later showed indirect signs of resistance, he said. "An attempt was made by others, including some within the Congress, to project that the Congress has betrayed the Muslims. This has caused us pain."
Bypolls for Davanagere South were held along with Bagalkot on Thursday. The election was necessitated following the death of sitting MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti respectively.
Muslim disgruntlement appears to be a concern for the Congress in Davanagere South. With 14 of the 25 candidates in the fray belonging to the community, there are apprehensions within the party about a split in votes, which could benefit the BJP.
Given its significant presence in the constituency, the Muslim community strongly demanded the Congress ticket for Davanagere South. Some party factions had opposed giving the ticket to the Shamanur family.
Although the Congress was successful in persuading rebel candidate Sadiq Pailwan to withdraw from the contest, he remained in the fray as the move came after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations.
