Five additional judges appointed to HC
Bengaluru, November 1: The central government has appointed five additional judges to the Karnataka High Court.
Based on seniority, Ashok G. Nijagannanavar, Hettur Puttaswamy Gowda Sandesh, Krishnan Natarajan, Prahladarao Govindarao Mutalik Patil and Appasaheb Shantappa Bellunke were appointed as the additional judges of the High Court.
Among them, Ashok Nijagannanavar, Hettur Puttaswamy Gowda Sandesh and Krishnan Natarajan would serve as the additional HC judges for two years. But Prahlada Rao Govinda Rao Mutalik Patil and Appasaheb Shantappa Bellunke have short time for their retirement, they would serve as additional judges till February 19, 2020 and August 2, 2019 respectively. Both of them would retire as additional judges of the Karnataka High Court.
The total number of judges sanctioned for the HC is 62 and currently, the HC has just 28. With the appointment of five additional judges, the number has gone up to 33. Meanwhile, there is a rumour that two senior judges of the HC would get transfer to the high courts of other states.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
'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.
ALSO READ: Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa laid to rest with full state honours
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.
