Karnataka HC warns of contempt proceedings against Chief Secretary
Bengaluru (PTI): The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday warned that it would be forced to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the Chief Secretary if the State fails to implement its order of providing land for graveyards in all villages and towns within two weeks.
A Division Bench of the court is hearing a civil contempt petition filed by one Mohammed Iqbal who has alleged that the State has failed to follow an earlier order of the HC in 2019 that had directed it to provide land for graveyards in all villages within six weeks.
In September 2022, the State had informed the HC in a compliance report that it had handed over 23,815 burial grounds to local authorities and the process of handing over 3,765 burial grounds was still pending.
The government was also in the process of identifying and purchasing land for burial grounds in 516 places where there were no government land available.
On Tuesday, the State sought two more weeks to complete the process.
The division bench of Justice B Veerappa and Justice K S Hemalekha, however, noted that it had provided ample time to the State to follow its orders.
The Court said that if its orders are not implemented within two weeks, the Chief Secretary would have to be personally present in the court on the next date of hearing on February 7 and it would initiate contempt proceedings against the officer.
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Odisha vigilance arrests 181 people, unearths assets worth Rs 131 crore in 2024
Bhubaneswar (PTI): The vigilance department of Odisha government has registered a total of 200 criminal cases and arrested 181 people including government officials during the year 2024, an official statement said.
Of the 181 people arrested by the vigilance department, 37 were class-I officers, 27 class-II officers, 85 class-III, one class-IV employee, 10 other public servants and 21 private persons during the year, the statement issued on Tuesday said.
A total of 200 cases were registered in 2024, of which, 60 cases were instituted for acquisition of disproportionate assets (DA) against 66 public servants and 36 private persons and unearthed properties worth over Rs 131 crore, it said.
The vigilance department had registered 96 trap cases in 2024, in which 115 people including 99 government officers were trapped while demanding and taking bribes worth Rs 19.25 lakh.
During the year, 44 misappropriation cases relating to misappropriation of public money were registered against 91 people, including 65 public servants and 26 private people, involving misappropriation of public funds amounting to about Rs 14.87 crore, the vigilance said.
Informing about the investigation of the corruption cases, the anti-corruption wing said it has carried out searches at over 483 locations, freezed 792 bank accounts of corrupt public servants, evaluated 194 buildings/projects in 72 valuation cases worth Rs 27.03 crore and 38 spouses were also brought in the ambit of investigations as co-accused in DA cases.
During the year 2024, investigations were completed in 307 cases and recorded the highest-ever disposal rate of 154 per cent. As many as 25 government functionaries were dismissed from service following their conviction in the vigilance cases, it said.
