Karnataka govt restrains officials from going before media
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Saturday restrained officials from going before the media to air their grievances or share opinions, other than for bonafide official purposes.
It also put a stop to officials using social media as a platform to project government or department achievements as personal achievements and asked them to use accounts or handles created in the name of the administration to share official information.
"Government officials making unwarranted statements through press statements and press conferences have come to the government's notice. As such incidents will have ill effects on the administrative system and cause embarrassment to the government. The government has viewed such conduct of the officials seriously," an official circular said.
Signed by Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar, it said, officials have hence been prohibited from making unwarranted statements through press statements and press conferences, other than for the purpose of performing bonafide official duties.
Citing service rules, the government said disciplinary action would be taken against officials found making use of unwarranted platforms to express their personal opinion and indulging in any act that causes embarrassment to the government in violation of rules and policies. It further said officials can only use the media to share official information on government programs and for necessary official duties, but not to air their grievances.
Use of social media platforms to project government or department achievements as personal achievements have been strictly prohibited, the circular further said.
At the time of publicizing information on department achievements and government programmes, officials, instead of using their personal social media accounts, should use accounts or handles created in the name of the government or administration, it added.
The circular has come after Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Thursday had told the legislative assembly that the government will instruct the Chief Secretary to take action against "overacting" officials who directly go before the media to level charges or air grievances.
He was responding to an issue raised by JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and his party MLA Sa Ra Mahesh, accusing some IAS officers of making allegations against legislators before the media.
Mahesh was referring to IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri, who was previously the Mysuru Deputy Commissioner, both of whom had accused each other of irregularities.
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Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
