Tractors carrying sugarcane set on fire in Mudhol amid farmers protest
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Bagalkote (PTI): Tension prevailed near Saidapur in Mudhol taluk here on Thursday, as several tractors and trolleys carrying sugarcane to a nearby factory were allegedly set on fire by some miscreants. The incident occurred amid ongoing protest by farmers demanding Rs 3,500 per tonne for their produce, police officials said.
Fire fighting personnels rushed to the spot to bring the fire and the situation under control, they said.Farmer leaders, however, claimed that the protesters had nothing to do with the incident, and expressed suspicion that it may have been orchestrated by miscreants to tarnish their agitation.Sugarcane growers have intensified their protest in parts of Bagalkote, Mudhol and few other places demanding Rs 3,500 per tonne.
Last week, the state government had fixed the procurement price of sugarcane, yielding 11.25 percent recovery, at Rs 3,300 per tonne.While farmers in Belagavi and few other parts accepted the price fixed by the government and withdrew their protest, those in Bagalkote and Haveri districts and few other areas continued their agitation, terming the decision "confusing".They also said that fixing the price based on the recovery is risky.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
