UIDAI refuses but Karnataka jail officials submit Jayalalithaa's thumb impression in Madras High Court
By PTI | Published: 08th December 2017 09:10 PM |

CHENNAI: A Karnataka prison official today submitted to Madras High Court in a sealed cover a register containing the signature of late Jayalalithaa and soft copy of her fingerprints taken when she was lodged in a Bengaluru jail.

Justice P Velmurugan, before whom the cover was submitted as per his direction on an election petition, adjourned the matter to December 15 after the court was informed that the Supreme Court today stayed his order to the jail authorities and UIDAI seeking the records.

However, the Unique Identification Authority of India, which maintains Aadhaar data, said the ex-CM had enrolled under the unique identification scheme in her lifetime, but it can’t reveal the thumb impression since Section 29 of the Aadhaar Act bars it from disclosing such details.
Related Article

The Judge had on November 24 directed jail authorities and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to submit the fingerprint details by today while hearing a petition by P Saravanan, DMK candidate for the November 2016 Thirupparankundram Assembly bypoll, challenging the election of AIADMK's A K Bose.

Sarvanan had alleged, in an affidavit, that thumb impression of Jayalalithaa in the election forms authorising Bose's candidature was obtained without her consent while she was unconscious at a hospital here.

When the matter came up today, Jailor of the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru Mohana Kumar produced in a sealed cover the prison register which contained the signature of Jayalalithaa.

It also contained the soft copy of Jayalalithaa's thumb impression obtained through the e-prison electronic device when she was lodged in the prison following her conviction by the trial court in the Rs 65.66 crore disproportionate assets case in September, 2014, the jailor submitted.

The former AIADMK supremo had died on December 5 last year.

Kumar informed the court that normally literate convicts affix their signature in the prison register and only the illiterate puts their thumb impression. However, all the convicts' thumb impression would be recorded in the e-prison electronic device, he added.

When the judge asked him whether the soft copy was certified as per section 65 B of the Evidence Act granting authenticity to it, the Jailor said he would get the certificate.

Counsel for UIDAI Deputy Director General Y L P Rao, who was also present in the court, informed the court that there was a bar under section 29 of the Aadhar Act from disclosing bio-metric details or information about the Aadhar card holders.

Responding to a question by the judge, he said Jayalalithaa had got her Aadhar card and sought time to file an affidavit explaining the difficulties in producing the thumb impression.

At this stage, counsel for Bose informed the Judge that on a special leave petition by his client the Supreme Court has stayed the proceedings related to production of Jayalalithaa's thumb impression.

Recording the production of documents, the judge then posted the matter to December 15.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud of the apex court stayed the high court order.

It also issued notice to Saravanan and asked him to file a reply within eight weeks.

(With inputs from Express News Service)

One dies as girls jump off building a day after they went missing from school

By Express News Service | Published: 10th December 2017 02:04 AM |

Last Updated: 10th December 2017 08:10 AM

SALEM: Two girls, who went missing from school on Friday evening, jumped from the fourth floor of an unused building on Saturday morning. While one of them died, the other sustained multiple fractures.

Jayarani (13) daughter of Jayaraj of Moolapillayar Kovil Street, and Kavisri (13), daughter of Sakthivel of Shankar Nagar, were class VII students at St Mary’s Higher Secondary School in Arisipalayam.

On Friday evening, the girls left their bags in the classroom and went missing. As they did not return home after school hours, the parents lodged a complaint with the police. The police made inquiries with friends and in the neighbourhood and the school and launched a search operation.

Revealing details of preliminary inquiries, the police sources said that the two girls had gained notoriety for unexplained leave and had been exhibiting deviant behaviour. For a recent questionable episode in school, a teacher on Friday had told them to sit at different seats (they were usually seated next to each other) and asked them to bring their parents. It was after this development at the school, the two had gone missing.

Parents and relatives of the two girls gathered at the school, where they received information about the fall of the two girls from the building. They rushed to the spot and identified that they were the Jayarani and Kavisri. On Saturday morning, the girls jumped from the fourth floor of an unoccupied building at Ther Veedhi in Old Market area.

‘No need for lawyers to wear black gown before law tribunal’

By Express News Service | Published: 10th December 2017 01:59 AM |

Last Updated: 10th December 2017 08:21 AM

CHENNAI: Observing that there was no need for lawyers appearing before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in New Delhi to wear black gown, a division bench of the Madras High Court has stayed the operation of an order of the Tribunal Registrar.

The bench of Justices T S Sivagnanam and K Ravichandrabaabu granted the interim stay and ordered notice to the Union government, the NCLT Registrar and the Bar Council of India, returnable by January 22, on a PIL petition from advocate R Rajesh.

The petitioner is a practising advocate and also a member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and appearing before the High Court and other tribunals. He sought to declare as null and void the order passed by the NCLT Registrar.

The petitioner contended that the order was in direct conflict with the rules of the Bar Council of India (BCI), in particular, the rules pertaining to code of dresses or robes to be worn by advocates. In terms of the rules, wearing of advocates’ gown shall be optional except when appearing in the Supreme Court and in High Courts. Therefore, the Registrar has no jurisdiction to insist that the advocates appearing before the NCLT wear the gown, he added.

“We are of the prima facie view that the Registrar has no jurisdiction to insist that advocates appearing before the benches of NCLT should compulsorily wear black gowns. Such order would be in direct conflict with the rules framed by the BCI. Apart from that, it is doubtful whether the NCLT Registrar would have jurisdiction to issue the impugned order going by his functions as enumerated under Rule 17 of the NCLT Rules or for that matter, Rule 51. Thus, for the above reasons, we are satisfied that the petitioner has made out a prima facie case for grant of an interim order,” the bench added.

Girl burning case accused detained under Goondas Act

By Express News Service | Published: 10th December 2017 01:40 AM |

Last Updated: 10th December 2017 07:34 AM

CHENNAI: M Akash, who torched a 21-year-old girl after she rejected his marriage proposal, was detained under the Goondas Act on Saturday. On November 13, Akash, who had been reportedly pestering S Induja to marry him, entered her house in Adambakkam and set her on fire after dousing her with petrol.

Induja succumbed to injuries and her mother Renuka and sister Nivedhika suffered severe burns when they tried to save her. Renuka succumbed to injuries, while Nivedhika has been undergoing treatment. Police arrested Akash on November 14 and got him remanded in judicial custody by a magistrate court.

Induja had completed her BE and had just joined an IT company. Akash was a dropout and also Induja’s schoolmate. Police said he had come to the house with a can of petrol after learning that the family was making arrangements for her marriage.

Government told not to use playgrounds in educational institutions for other purposes

By Express News Service | Published: 10th December 2017 01:59 AM |

Last Updated: 10th December 2017 08:20 AM

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the State government not to use playgrounds in schools, colleges and universities for any purpose other than education. The academic atmosphere has to be maintained and should not be vitiated, Justice N Kirubakaran said.

The judge, however, permitted the government to hold an exhibition on the grounds of Chikkanna Government Arts College in Tirupur, as the petitioner has moved the High Court at the eleventh hour, leaving no time for the organisers to shift the venue.

The judge was disposing of a writ petition filed on December 1 by Kathirvel seeking to restrain the authorities from conducting an exhibition for 45 days in the open space, earmarked for playground in the college, to propagate the achievements and schemes of the government.

Advocate-General Vijay Narayan submitted that arrangements had been made for two weeks for conducting the exhibition from December 2. There cannot be any order restraining the authorities at the last minute, he added.

The judge said though the contention of the petitioner was true that the academic atmosphere in educational institutions should not be disturbed, a perusal of the records showed that on November 23 itself, it was published in newspapers that arrangements had been made for conducting the exhibition and the ‘pandhal’ put up and the expo was ready to be inaugurated. “If the petitioner had approached this court in time, the result could have been different,” the judge said and permitted the exhibition subject to certain conditions.

The exhibition should commence at 5 pm and there should not be any use of loudspeakers before that. Proper traffic arrangements should be made so that parking of vehicles can be regulated. Slogans should not be raised inside the campus. After the exhibition, the playground has to be levelled and restored to its original position. If any tree has been cut, 25 trees have to be planted by the government for every single tree cut down. Since there are two grounds available in the institution and one playground was not in usable condition, the authorities shall make it usable within a month from the conclusion of the exhibition, the judge added.

‘Nothing wrong in functioning of 2 petrol stations within one km’

Chennai: Holding that there was no rule that a petrol bunk cannot be located within one km from the other, the first bench of the Madras High Court has permitted the location of an outlet in Kaniyamadi village in Vellore district. The bench made the observation while dismissing a PIL petition from Rajagurusenathipathy last week. “It seems that the petition has been prompted by some ulterior motive. Possibly, the petitioner has been set up by some rival petroleum retail outlet owner, whose business is likely to be affected. In any case, no public interest is disclosed in the petition,” the judge said.

Chennai: Over-worked poll officials don’t get incentives

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

Published Dec 9, 2017, 9:05 am IST

The demand for immediate disbursement of incentives rose again after officials were forced to work again in the RK Nagar by-election.



When the Election Commission engages in poll related work, it seeks the help of officials from local bodies. (Representational Image)

Chennai: Despite Tamil Nadu facing frequent polls over the past two years, Chennai corporation officials who did election duty are yet to get incentives and other payments. The demand for immediate disbursement of incentives rose again after officials were forced to work again in the RK Nagar by-election. A revenue official attached to Greater Chennai Corporation said that incentives for those who worked during the 2016 assembly election, is yet to be disbursed. “Payments for cancelled RK Nagar by-election is also pending,” the official said.

When the Election Commission engages in poll related work, it seeks the help of officials from local bodies. “We need manpower. We hire workers on temporary basis. They are waiting for their payment. We also spent from our pocket to conduct awareness campaigns and electoral roll purification work. Those reimbursements are also pending,” the official rued.

Election Department officials said that files regarding disbursement of incentives are being processed and the incentives would be given soon. “Officials who work during elections should keep proper invoices and vouchers to claim reimbursements. Some officials who do not have proper bills suffer as we are not able to provide payments,” a department official said.

இணையதளம் முடக்கம்

Added : டிச 10, 2017 01:29

சென்னை:மின்வாரிய இணையதளம் மூலம், மின் கட்டணம் செலுத்துவது, மின் சப்ளை நிறுத்தப்படும் இடங்களை தெரிந்து கொள்வது உள்ளிட்ட சேவைகளை பெற முடியும். நேற்று மாலை, அந்த இணையதளம் செயல்படவில்லை. இதனால், மேற்கண்ட சேவைகளை பெற முடியாமல், நுகர்வோர் அவதிப்பட்டனர்.