Preparations for holding polls to local bodies to be completed in 2 weeks: Govt to HC
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government has informed the High Court that the preparation for conducting elections to local bodies including Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Zilla Panchayats and Taluk Panchayats will be completed in two weeks. The Government’s submission before the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale came during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by the State Election Commission (SEC).
The SEC has challenged an Amendment by which the State Government withdrew its power to redraw the constituencies and prepare the reservation list. A new delimitation panel was created by the State to conduct this exercise.
Considering the government's submission to complete the exercise within two weeks, the bench disposed of the PIL. The HC, however, clarified that the SEC was at liberty to approach the court again if it faced any difficulty from the government in completing the task.
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Advocate General K Shashikiran Shetty, who appeared for the State, informed the bench that the delimitation exercise for the local bodies would be completed today (December 19) and a notification would be issued soon. He also submitted that a draft notification for reservation of seats in these constituencies would be issued within two weeks. Objections to these lists would be considered within two weeks thereafter. The HC, while recording these submissions, directed the State to file a detailed memo and disposed of the PIL.
The SEC had made preparations for the ZP-TP polls in Karnataka in April and May 2021. It had completed the delimitation exercise on constituencies and the final list of voters was also published. The reservation draft was also announced by the SEC. However, before the SEC could announce the election schedule, the then State Government amended the Karnataka Panchayat Raj and Gram Swaraj Act.
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BMW hit-and-run case: HC refuses to release accused Mihir Shah on ground of 'illegal' arrest
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to release Mihir Shah, the main accused in a BMW hit-and-run case, on the ground of "illegal" arrest.
Shah, the 24-year-old son of a former Shiv Sena leader, and his driver Rajrishi Bidawat had filed petitions in the HC claiming they have been illegally detained and sought immediate release.
Shah was arrested on July 9, two days after he allegedly rammed his BMW car into a two-wheeler in Mumbai's Worli area, killing 45-year-old woman Kaveri Nakhwa and leaving her husband Pradeep injured.
His driver Bidawat, who was also present in the car at the time of the accident, was arrested on the day of the incident.
As per their pleas, the police had not informed them the grounds of their arrest at the time, which they claimed was in violation of the law.
A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande on Monday dismissed the petitions.
"Both the petitions are dismissed," the court said.
The duo sought their release, claiming any further detention would be in utter violation of the constitutional mandate and a failure to comply with Section 50 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Under this section, the police, while arresting a person, have to communicate to him/her full particulars of the offence for which he/she is being arrested or other grounds for such arrest.
Both Shah and Bidawat are presently in judicial custody.
In their habeas corpus (produce the person) petitions filed in the HC in August, Shah and Bidawat claimed their detention was illegal and sought that they be released immediately.
Shah, in the plea, sought quashing of the orders passed by a local court remanding him first in police custody and then judicial custody.
He also sought for his arrest to be declared as illegal.
Shah is accused of speeding off towards the Bandra Worli Sea Link after the accident, even as the woman remained on the bonnet of the car and then got entangled in its wheels, for a distance of more than 1.5 kilometres.
As per police, Shah, who fled from the scene, was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
Mihir Shah's father and former Shiv Sena leader Rajesh Shah had also been arrested in the case, but was later granted bail.
