Andhra CM under fire for sanctioning ₹73L for house
Amaravati:08.11.2019

The Andhra Pradesh government’s order sanctioning ₹73 lakh for doors and windows of chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s residence here has come under flak from the opposition.

Leading the attack is N Chandrababu Naidu, who himself was target of the ruling YSR Congress Party over living in an alleged illegal house.

“YSR Jagan’s government has allotted a whopping ₹73 lakhs to fix windows for his house! Now that’s one super expensive view at the expense of state exchequer! This comes at a time when AP is grappling with fiscal mess caused by mismanagement in the last 5 months. Truly cringe-worthy!” tweeted Naidu.

Naidu’s son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh accused Jagan of hypocrisy for sanctioning such a large amount while claiming that “he takes home ₹1 as salary”.

The order, issued by Roads and Buildings Department on October 15, accorded administrative sanction for ₹73 lakh afor supply and installation of aluminium windows/doors and miscellaneous works in camp residence and office block of the chief minister. IANS

Now, T’gana revenue officials get threat calls

Sushil.Rao@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:08.11.2019

Days after a tehsildar was burnt alive inside her office, several revenue officials in Telangana are claiming to have been receiving threats from unidentified persons. While a worried tahsildar has gone on leave, a revenue divisional officer (RDO) filed a complaint with police after a cop threatened him that he would meet the same fate Vijaya Reddy faced on November 4 in her office.

K Rajendra Kumar, RDO of Kamareddy district, approached police on the very same day on which Vijaya was set on fire, after receiving a call from an unknown person who threatened him that he too would be burned alive if he did not resolve his land dispute.

SP K Swetha Reddy told TOI on Thursday that after a preliminary enquiry, they have identified the person who made the call as armed reserve (AR) constable Srinivas Reddy. “We have taken the complaint and put up the matter before the court,” she said. The SP said an FIR would be filed under Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

Meanwhile, revenue employees at Maripeda tehsildar office in Mahabubabad district were allegedly threatened by a farmer who came to the office with petrol in a bottle. He kept it on the table and shouted at them. He apparently wants them to solve his land issue.

Suicide note by deceased valid as ‘will’: Haryana revenue court
If In Own Writing, Admissible Even Without Attestation
Ajay.Sura@timesgroup.com

Chandigarh:08.11.2019

A revenue court of Haryana has held that ‘will’ of a person expressed in suicide note is admissible as valid even if it was not testified by two witnesses as required by law.

“If the suicide note is scribed by the deceased in his own writing, it will be a valid ‘will’ even when it is without the signature of the testator or attestation by two witnesses,” observed the revenue court of Ashok Khemka, financial commissioner, Haryana.

“Technical considerations cannot nullify the substance of the will, especially where it is virtually impossible to seek compliance with the rigors of law,” observed Khemka.

The court was of the view that in such dire circumstances, compelling a technical adherence of procedure would violate the maxim ‘Lex Non Cogit Ad Impossibilia’ (law does not compel one to do the impossible).

“A suicide is an act in desperation and during the period immediately before committing suicide, the situation is extremely emergent, where the testator thinks and believes his death to be imminent. He does not have the inclination or the time to think or act in leisure. He is a man seized, who wishes to make a last and final declaration of his intention with respect to his property, which he desires to be carried into effect after his imminent death,” said the court.

Khemka made these observations while hearing a revision petition against the order dated December 19, 2018, of the commissioner, Ambala division, and the order dated March 22, 2017, of the assistant collector (first grade), Bilaspur (Yamunanagar). The petition, filed by Rupinder Singh, 20, a resident of Kot Basawa village in Yamunanagar district, was regarding mutation of land owned by deceased Inderjeet Singh, his elder brother.

The petitioner’s brother committed suicide on November 3, 2015, and left behind a suicide note in which his property was willed in Rupinder’s favour. An FIR for abetment to suicide was registered against Inderjeet’s widow on Rupinder’s complaint. The suicide note was sent for forensic examination and a final report is awaited.

Meanwhile, revenue officials transferred the deceased’s property to his widow and two minor daughters, they being his legal heirs.

An objection was made by the petitioner on the basis of the suicide note, arguing that in the note, the deceased had willed that he did not want to give any property to his wife and that after his death the petitioner would be the owner in possession of all the properties left by the deceased. The petitioner claimed the suicide note was his brother’s ‘will,’ which he wrote before his death.

The commissioner, Ambala division, however, upheld the decision of the revenue officials entering the mutation of land in favour of the deceased’s wife. Aggrieved by this, the petitioner approached the revenue court, challenging the commissioner’s order.

Deciding the matter pending the forensic report, the revenue court set aside the orders passed by the revenue officials as well as the commissioner, Ambala division, and ordered that the entire property be entered in the names of both the minor daughters of the deceased in equal share.

Regarding the right of the petitioner in the property, the court said it would await the forensic report, which would determine whether the suicide note was in the writing of the deceased, and adjourned the matter.

The court was of the view that in such dire circumstances, compelling a technical adherence of procedure would violate the maxim ‘Lex Non Cogit Ad Impossibilia’ (law does not compel one to do the impossible)

Uber to compensate disabled activist for discrimination by its drivers in Chennai
Prabin.Kalita@timesgroup.com

Guwahati:  08.11.2019

Taking suo motu cognisance of a Facebook post detailing how two Uber drivers in Chennai refused to ferry a person with 80% locomotor disability in June, the Delhi state commissioner for persons with disabilities has ordered the app-cab aggregator to compensate the victim for the discrimination and harassment he suffered that day.

Commissioner TD Dhariyal said in his order, issued on Tuesday, that Uber must introduce training modules for its employees and driver partners on the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and strictly impose strong penalties for non-compliance.

The order was in response to a Facebook post by Arman Ali, executive director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People, narrating how he missed a flight from Chennai to Bengaluru in June because of back-to-back refusals by Uber drivers to ferry him along with his wheelchair.

“While the cab arrived, the driver refused to carry me because I was in a wheelchair. After repeat episodes, I missed the flight and had to spend ₹14,000 on a fresh ticket,” Ali, who is from Assam, said.

While the incident occurred in June, it wasn’t until August that commissioner Dhariyal found a valid Uber address to which he could send the notice seeking a reply. Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd filed a written reply on October 30, expressing “sincerest regrets for the inconvenience experienced by Mr Arman Ali during his interactions with driver partners registered on the Ether technology platform”.

Uber said its policy of nondiscrimination was already part of the onboarding process and “disability sensitisation programmes” were being regularly conducted. On Ali being refused a ride, it said: “Uber does not have actual onground control of the driver partners, and the decision to accept booking on the Uber app rests solely with the driver partners.” Ali told TOI on Thursday the commissioner for persons with disabilities taking up his case based on a social media post was the most heartening thing to come out of the episode.

The order was in response to a Facebook post by Arman Ali, narrating how he missed a flight to Bengaluru because of refusals by Uber drivers to ferry him along with wheelchair

I-T searches on Jeppiaar institutes

Sivakumar.B@timesgroup.com

Chennai:08.11.2019

The Income Tax department on Thursday commenced searches at 25 places belonging to Jeppiaar Educational Trust, which runs many engineering colleges and schools.

A senior official in the I-T investigation wing said searches began on Thursday early morning and could continue for a few days. “We have specific information with evidence about tax evasion. Around 150 I-T officials have been drafted for the searches,” he said.

“The I-T department has received a specific tip-off about cash transactions carried out by the trust and members of Jeppiaar family,” said the official.

The trust manages 12 technical institutes, a CBSE school and a matriculation school.

A spokesperson of Satyabhama University said, “Exams are going on in the college, but income tax officials entered the college premises in the morning and started searches. The office staff have been locked inside. We have not been able to reach them”.

HC: PIL seeks 8-hour duty shift time for PG doctors

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:08.11.2019

A doctors’ association has approached the Madras high court to implement a fixed eight hour duty shift system for post graduate medical students in government medical college hospitals, instead of the current 24-hour duty shift.

Moving the plea as a PIL, Dr GR Ravindranath, general secretary of Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE) said that even though the state government had issued a notification in 2015 to regularise duty time of PG students and UG CRRI (Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship) candidates, the same is yet to be implemented.

TOI IMPACT

Tainted MBBS students off varsity list

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:08.11.2019

A day after TOI reported on how medical education authorities had asked state medical university to approve the admission of two tainted MBBS students, the selection committee has withdrawn their names saying the names got included by ‘oversight’. The two medical students were caught impersonating in NEET 2019 examination.

On Wednesday, selection committee secretary Dr G Selvarajan wrote to TN Dr MGR Medical University stating that the names of two candidates were sent due to “oversight”. The two students were suspended from their respective government medical colleges before they were arrested by the CB-CID.

TOI had reported that the Directorate of Medical Education had sent their names along with those of other students for registration to TN Dr MGR Medical University on Monday. sOnce registered, the students would have become eligible to write the university examinations for undergraduate medical degree, officials had cautioned.