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โ€œReply By Evening Or Will Impose Costโ€: Gujarat HC Tells Morbi Civic Body

Morbi court

A day after the Gujarat High Court rebuked the Morbi civic authorities for โ€œacting smartโ€ during the hearing on Morbi bridge collapse, the court today warned the civic body over delay in filing a status report despite two notices, NDTV reported. โ€œYesterday you were acting smart, now you are taking the matter casually,โ€ said the court, โ€œSo, either file your reply by this evening, or pay a fine of โ‚น 1 lakh.โ€

Citing the reason for the delay, the civic body had said that the Deputy Collector whoโ€™s in-charge of the civic body is on election duty.

โ€œThe notice should have been sent to the Deputy Collector, but it was served to the civic body instead, on November 9. Thus, the delay in appearing before this court,โ€ lawyer representing the civic authorities said.

The civic body agreed to file status report by evening giving details of how the collapse occurred.

Earlier on Tuesday, hearing the suo-motu case over collapse of Morbi suspension bridge that killed 130 people last month, the Gujarat High Court rebuked the Morbi civic body for โ€œacting smartโ€ while seeking direct answers. The HC also lashed out at the manner in which the contract was awarded for maintenance of a 150-year-old British-era bridge.

In its preliminary observation, the court remarked: โ€œThe municipality, a government body, has defaulted, which ultimately killed 135 people.โ€ The bench, realising that no official had appeared to represent the civic body despite a notice, said: โ€œThey are acting smart.โ€

Asking officials to come back with details on if the condition of issuing certification of fitness before  reopening was part the conditions mentioned in the agreement. The bench also asked who the person responsible was.

โ€œThe state shall also place on record reasons why disciplinary proceedings against chief officer of the civic body arenโ€™t commenced,โ€ the Gujarat HC said.

โ€œThe largesse of the state seems to have been granted without there being any tender floated in this regard.โ€

 

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1998 Road Rage Case: Supreme Court Sentences Navjot Sidhu To 1-Yr Jail Term

Aleesha Sam

New Delhi: In a 1988 road rage case, the Supreme Court sentenced cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh to one year in prison. The Supreme Court has granted a review of Navjot Singh Siddhuโ€™s exoneration in a 1988 road rage case in which Patiala resident Gurnam Singh died.

Sidhu will be taken into custody by Punjab police as per the order. Sidhu was earlier let off with a fine of Rs 1,000. Now, the maximum possible punishment under Section 323 of the IPC has been awarded to Sidhu.Navjot Sidhu has to surrender before a court.

Mr Sidhu is accused of beating Gurnam Singh on the head on December 27, 1988, resulting in his death.

The court had previously put off making a decision on an application to broaden the scope of notice in the road rage case. In addition, the application was filed as part of an ongoing review petition.

Mr Sidhu has filed an objection to the plea attempting to broaden the scope of the road rage case against him, citing a Supreme Court ruling that there was insufficient evidence that the victimโ€™s death was caused by a single blow.

On September 22, 1999, a Patiala Sessions Court Judge acquitted Mr Sidhu and his associate, claiming a lack of proof and them the benefit of the doubt.

The families of the victims took the case to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which found Mr Sidhu guilty and sentenced him to three years in prison in 2006. Mr Sidhu then took his case to the Supreme Court, disputing the order.

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