Bengaluru (PTI): In a first-of-its-kind arrangement, the High Court of Karnataka has allowed a candidate appearing for the Civil Judge mains exams to write the test in her hometown of Mangaluru as she was 8.5 months pregnant and was unable to travel to Bengaluru.

The HC issued notification for conducting the exams for recruitment of 57 Judges in March this year. The preliminary exams were held on July 23, 2023. Of the over 6,000 candidates, 1,022 were selected for the mains exam scheduled on Saturday and Sunday in Bengaluru.

Nethravathi, an advocate from Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada district, had qualified for the mains exam. She submitted a requisition to the HC to allow her to write the exam in the district itself as she was unable to travel to Bengaluru having delicate health conditions being pregnant.

The HC Committee for Direct Recruitment of Civil Judges comprising Justice P S Dinesh Kumar, Justice K Somashekar, Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav, Justice Ashok S Kinagi and Justice M Nagaprasanna, after considering her application, allowed her to write the exam in Dakshina Kannada district itself. Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale has approved the decision of the Committee.

Following a direction by the Committee and the Chief Justice, the Registrar of the HC has deputed a lady judicial officer to conduct the exam for the lone candidate at the District Court in Mangaluru.

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Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.

Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.

Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.

An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.

The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.

A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.

Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."

"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.

"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.

A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.