Hanur temple tragedy: Many people still critical
Hanur, Dec 15: The condition of many people who fell sick after consuming poisonous food at Kichkuth Maramma temple at Sulvadi village in the taluk on Friday, is still critical. Total 11 persons died in the incident.
The incident happened after consuming the ‘Prasad’ distributed during the foundation laying programme for the pinannacle of the temple. Total 94 persons were treated at Kollegala hospital so far. Those who were in critical condition were shifted to Mysuru hospital. Currently there are no patients in Kollegala and Kamagere hospitals and all of them were shifted to Mysuru, said a doctor.
District Minister CH Puttaranga Shetty, MP Druvanarayan, MLA R Narendra visited the spot today morning. The district Minister met the patients and the family members of the dead in hospital and consoled them.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Puttaranga Shetty and MLA R Narendra said that those who are in critical condition were being treated in various hospitals in Mysuru. A high level investigation would be conducted into the incident for which they have already discussed with the Home Minister, they said.
The Minister, MP and MLA have promised of helping the affected families. Among those who consumed ‘Prasad’, two were identified from Tamil Nadu and are being treated in hospital. Shivanna (50) and Puttamadevi (50) from Baraguru village in Tamil Nadu. In the beginning they were treated at Erode hospital. But now they were shifted to a hospital in Mysuru.
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Akhlaq lynching case: Brinda Karat seeks President's intervention in UP govt's move to drop charges
New Delhi (PTI): Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Saturday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, demanding her intervention in the Uttar Pradesh government's move to withdraw charges against the accused in the 2015 mob lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq.
In a letter to the President, Karat called it a "politically motivated" step by the government, and also questioned the role of the governor.
"I write to draw your urgent attention to the role of the Uttar Pradesh governor in the matter of the mob lynching case of Md Akhlaq, which occurred in September 2015. The governor has given written permission to the UP government to go ahead in its wholly illegal and unjust attempt to subvert the processes of justice and to withdraw the entire case even though the main witness has already given evidence," Karat said.
She said the government has filed an affidavit in the Greater Noida district court to withdraw the case, with the governor's permission.
"I regret that I am forced to write to you on this matter, but since the governor has been appointed by you and is answerable to you, I felt it in the interests of justice to inform you of the facts and to request your urgent intervention," she said.
On September 28, 2015, a mob gathered outside Akhlaq's house in Uttar Pradesh's Bisahada village after an alleged announcement from a village temple claiming that he had slaughtered a cow. He, along with his son Daanish, was dragged out of their home and assaulted, leading to Akhlaq's death.
"Even today, Danish has not fully recovered and carries the impact of the grievous wounds inflicted on him," Karat said.
The CPI(M) leader said the daughter of the victim gave evidence and named and identified all the accused.
"In other words, evidence against the accused has been presented and recorded in the court. The case is going on, and two other direct witnesses are to give their statements," she said.
"At such a time, the UP government has taken a decision to withdraw the case on utterly indefensible grounds, such as lathis were used, not guns, there was no personal animosity with the victim, continuing the case will lead to communal disharmony and so on," the letter read.
Karat alleged that the case has been delayed by the prosecution -- by not giving notice to the witnesses to appear -- and now the delay has been cited as the grounds to withdraw the case.
"This is motivated not to meet the ends of justice but to subvert the entire judicial process," she said.
Calling it a "politically motivated" step by the Uttar Pradesh government, she questioned, "Should the governor not counsel the government against such a step? Is it not the duty of the governor to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law?"
"If such a case is withdrawn, what will be left of the processes of justice? Will this not then apply to all cases of mob lynching that lathis were used, not guns, that there is no personal animosity, that harmony requires that such cases be withdrawn?" she asked.
Karat expressed hope that the President would intervene and direct the governor to withdraw the permission given.
"The matter is urgent as the government affidavit approved by the governor, which was to be discussed in the court yesterday (December 12) was postponed on the request of the prosecution," she added.
The Uttar Pradesh government has moved to withdraw charges against all those accused in the 2015 mob lynching in Greater Noida's Dadri, a case that had sparked nationwide outrage.
