Karnataka HC disposes petition challenging appointment of judge as special court judicial member
Bengaluru (PTI): The High Court of Karnataka on Friday disposed of a petition challenging the appointment of judge C G Hungund as Judicial Member of the Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Special Court.
The petition challenging the appointment was withdrawn by the petitioner following which the case was disposed of.
The state government had removed Hungund from the post and, therefore, it was not necessary to proceed with the petition, the petitioner said in a memo filed before the court.
"The petitioner in the matter most humbly submits that during the pendency of the writ petition, the government has issued the order removing the fourth respondent from the post of judicial member by its order dated 21.09.2023 and the same has been communicated to the undersigned recently," petitioner Umapathi said in his memo filed before the division bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S
Dixit.
The memo further said, "The relief sought in the petition is fulfilled and the matter may be treated as disposed of in the interest of justice and equity."
Placing the memo on record, the HC disposed of the petition.
The PIL filed by advocate Umapathi S challenging the appointment order dated 21.10.2022 claimed that the retired district judge was ineligible for the post. It was claimed that since Hungund had already served as a member of the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission between 2012 and 2017, he cannot be appointed to another quasi-judicial forum.
The division bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice MGS Kamal had issued notice to the government in this regard earlier in August 2023.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
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.
