Friday, February 4, 2022

Jind varsity to reprint calendar

Jind varsity to reprint calendar

Vijender Kumar TNN

Jind: After the controversy over the calendar of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU) and Chaudhary Bansi Lal University (CBLU), Jind-based Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University (CRSU) has now decided to print photo of Chaudhary Ranbir Singh in its calendars in this session. Photos of Chaudhary Charan Singh and Chaudhary Bansi Lal were missing from university calendars, leading to protests and demands for action against VCs and those responsible for the mistake.

CCSHAU in Hisar was named after former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh in 1970 and CBLU, established in Bhiwani district, was named after former chief minister Chaudhary Bansi Lal in 2014. The CRSU was named after Chaudhary Ran-bir Singh, a freedom fighter and member of the Constituent Assembly on July 24, 2014. Ranbir Singh was the father of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Tosham Congress MLA and daughter-in-law of Bansi Lal, Kiran Choudhry said the saffron party and its alliance partner in Haryana are seeking to change the history gradually. Talking with media persons on Thursday, CBLU vice-chancellor R K Mittal said, “We have ordered the printing of photos on the calendar and they will be released soon. ”

CRSU registrar Loveleen Mohan said in a meeting it was decided to print a photo of Chaudhary Ranbir Singh. Told that the photo of Chaudhary Ranbir Singh was not printed in the past, she said, “I can’t say about the past but. . . they decided that his photo will be in the calendars. ”

Court can convict if satisfied that dying declaration is true: HC

Court can convict if satisfied that dying declaration is true: HC

Ajay.Sura@timesgroup.com

04.02.2022

Chandigarh: Upholding the life imprisonment of an Haryana-based accused who had set his wife afire, the Punjab and Haryana high court held that if the court is satisfied that dying declaration is true and voluntary, it can convict the accused even without any corroboration. Even the main complainant in the case, brother of the deceased, had turned hostile.

"It is trite law that, if the court is satisfied that the dying declaration is true and voluntary it can base conviction on it, without corroboration…," observed the HC.

The division bench, comprising Justice Ajay Tewari and Justice Pankaj Jain of the HC, passed these orders while dismissing an appeal filed by Sukhbir of Palwal district in Haryana.

The appellant was aggri-eved against the judgment passed by Sessions Judge, Palwal, whereby he was convicted in FIR No. 170 dated March 25, 2014, for the murder of his wife and sentenced to imprisonment for life.

The couple, who had two children, got married in 2008 but they had regular fights and the accused used to beat her under the influence of liquor. On March 24, 2014, at around 6-7 pm the accused, who was in a drunken state, started beating his wife Ranjana. With the inter- vention of complainant Sonu Mohanti, who was Ranjana's brother, she was saved. At around12 am on the same day, the accused set her on fire. She was taken to Safdarganj hospital, Delhi. During the treatment, her dying declaration was recorded in which she confirmed that her husband had an illicit relationship with his sister in-law and had set her on fire.

During the trial, Mohanti, whowas the brother of the deceased, turned hostile.

However, the trial court held the accused guilty while relying on the dying declaration of the deceased. The trial court observed that the dying declaration of the victim when tested on the anvil of admissibility is fully admissible and no intrinsic infirmity could be pointed out in this statement.

Complainant turned hostile during trial

Hence, in my opinion, the same deserves to be relied upon without corroboration from any other source and while accepting the same, it stands fully proved that the victim had died due to burns caused by the accused by immolating her with in tention to kill her an in this way he proved to have committed the murder of the victim, the trial court had held.

In his appeal against these orders, the accused mainly argued that the complainant having resiled from his statement, dying declara tion alone is not sufficient to hold the app ellant guilty.

Counsel for the state contended that, as per settled law, o nce the court has come to the conclusion that the dying declaration was the truthful version, it does not need any corroboration.

After hearing both the parties, the HC dismissed the ap peal observing that the dying declaration of the victim proved on record proves the guilt of the appellant beyond doubt.

Student tries to sneak GF into hostel in trolley bag

Student tries to sneak GF into hostel in trolley bag

04.02.2022

Manipal: One confident answer and the engineering student may have succeeded in wheeling his girlfriend right into his hostel room. But he stumbled when asked to explain the unusually-bulged trolley bag and then the cat, well the girl in this case,was out of the bag.

The discovery happened at an engineering college hostel in Manipal on Tuesday night. A student who watched the lovers’ plan unravel said the boy walked in with the trolley bag and caught the caretaker’s attention. The man asked why the student was carrying such a huge piece of luggage. The student answered that it contained items that he had ordered online. That only seemed to have confirmed the caretaker’s suspicions.

TNN

Runaway bride who took 8 grooms for a ride held

Runaway bride who took 8 grooms for a ride held

04.02.2022

Jabalpur: A 28-year-old woman who allegedly married men and then ran away with jewelry and cash has been arrested along with three others, police said here on Thursday. Urmila Ahirwar alias Renu Rajput is suspected to have cheated at least eight men in this way.

The other three arrested accused were identified as Archana Burman alias Archana Rajput (40), Bhagchand Kori (22) and Amar Singh (50). Their latest victim was Dashrath Patel (41), a resident of neighbouring Seoni district, said inspector S S Baghel, the in-charge of Omti police station. After she was arrested, Ahirwar confessed to have cheated seven other men in the past, inspector Baghel said.

She would marry a man and flee with jewelry and cash after a few days, he said. She had thus cheated men in Jaipur, Kota and Dholpur in Rajasthan and Damoh and Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, the police official added. Dashrath Patel's marriage with Ahirwar was fixed through Archana who posed as her relative. Patel gave jewelry, clothes and cash to Amar Singh, who also pretended to be among her relatives, during the wedding. As per Patel's complaint, after the marriage ceremony in Jabalpur on Tuesday, the couple left for his village in a car. Ahirwar allegedly got down at one point, saying she was feeling unwell. Kori arrived at the spot on a motorbike, and she fled with him, allegedly carrying cash and jewelry which Patel had given to her. Further probe is on.

PTI

Guv returns TN’s anti-NEET bill, govt fumes

Guv returns TN’s anti-NEET bill, govt fumes

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

04.02.2022

Chennai: Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi on Thursday refused to give his assent to the anti-NEET Bill passed by the assembly, saying it was against the interest of students, especially those from rural areas and underprivileged families. The state government objected to the governor’s remarks and convened an all-party meeting on Saturday to decide its course of action.

A release from Raj Bhavan said the governor took the decision after a detailed study of the bill for admission to UG medical courses that seeks to do away with NEET, besides the report of the state government-constituted panel that recommended the move. The high-powered committee, led by Justice (retired) A K Rajan, examined the pre NEET status of social justice in medical admission, especially for students coming from socially and economically underprivileged backgrounds. “The governor returned the bill to the Speaker, Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, on February 1, 2022, giving detailed reasons for its reconsideration by the House,” the release said.

The governor can return the bill “only on sound legal grounds, and not due to his subjective satisfaction”, said Justice K Chandru, former judge of the Madras high court. This decision to return the bill, coupled with the long delay, has rendered the decision clearly unconstitutional, he said.

Ravi’s decision reflects the will of four BJP MLAs, and disregards the collective resolution of 230 MLAs who supported the legislation, Justice Chandru said. “Return of a bill for reconsideration is open only when the issued concerned was never taken note of by the House, not when it has debated and adopted. ” The Supreme Court had examined the issue while hearing the Christian Medical College, Vellore Association Vs Union of India case in 2020, especially from the standpoint of social justice, and upheld NEET as a screening exam.

SC: Money laundering damages financial system of the country

SC: Money laundering damages financial system of the country

04.02.2022

The court is examining constitutional validity of various provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for allegedly being violative of basic principles of natural justice and crimina l jurisprudence. While hearing a batch of over 250 petitions, including those filed by Congress leader Karti Chidambaram and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, the court said such crim e affects the integrity

and sovereignty of the country and that was the purpose for bringing the Act.

“The offence of money laundering is more heinous. It damages the economy and the financial system of the country. It can put the economy on hold orcan derail it. It is more serious than murder. That is why a special Act was framed,” a bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and C T Ravikumar observed when it was p ointed out that the procedure prescribed in the Act is against the Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Evidence Act.

The court said that money laundering is not only used for drug trading but also for terrorist activities and such crime is not only heinous but also affects integrity and sovereignty of the country.

It said that possessing stolen property and ill gotten property out of proceeds of crime cannot be put on the same footing. The petitioners are being represented by top legal minds, including Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Sidharth Luthra and they pressed that the validity of provisions needed to be examined.

Money laundering more heinous than murder: SC

New Delhi: Observing that the offence of money laundering cannot be treated lightly, the Supreme Court on Thursday said that it was more serious and hei- nous crime than murder as it affected the entire economy whose growth could be put on hold or derailed because of it, reports Amit Anand Choudhary

SC refuses deferment of GATE

SC refuses deferment of GATE

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

04.02.2022

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to postpone the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering Exam (GATE) scheduled to be held on February 5 and turned down the plea of a batch of students which sought its deferment citing the Covid pandemic.

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Vikram Nath said postponing GATE just 48 hours before the scheduled examinationwill result in chaos and uncertainty. “The plea for postponement of GATE examination barely 48 hours before the scheduled date February 5, 2022, is replete with a potential for chaos and uncertainty, in the lives of students who have registered for the examination.

There is no overarching reason why this court in exercise of jurisdiction under Article 32 of the constitution should supplant the duties and functions of the regulatory authorities, who have taken a decision to hold the examination,” the bench said.

One college refunds, another replies to notice on excess fee

PG DENTAL SEATS

One college refunds, another replies to notice on excess fee

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesgroup.com

04.02.2022

Bengaluru: After the admission overseeing committee sent notices to three dental colleges for collecting excess fee from post-graduate candidates, one of them agreed to make a refund, while another responded saying what has been sought is only optional fees.

In January, the committee headed by justice B Manohar asked the colleges to refund additional fees or show cause as to why action shouldn’t be initiated against them for violating the consensual agreement.The colleges put on notice were Oxford Dental College, Bengaluru, Maratha Mandal Dental College, Belagavi and Rajarajeshwari Dental College, Bengaluru.

Of this, the Maratha Mandal has agreed to return the excess amount of Rs 75,000, said the committee. “The college said a one-time material fee of Rs 75,000 was collected, considering the pandemic situation to cover the cost of PPE and other protective items as well as dental kits to be supplied over the next three years. Students were informed about the same. But considering the notice issued by the committee, the college has informed students to come and collect the refund,” said justice Manohar.

Rajarajeshwari college, in its reply, said no student is compelled to pay for these materials if they don’t want to enrol for the additional courses. The college said it is conducting value-added courses in addition to the prescribed syl- labus. Students need to buy special instruments and materials if they want to pursue these courses. Only10 of the 28 students have paid these additional expenses, the college said. The committee said it is yet to decide on the next course of action with regard to this institution. The third college is yet to respond.

Meanwhile, the committee has sent notice to KVG Dental College, Sullia, for collecting Rs 75,000 as dental material fees and Rs 22,500 under other heads. The committee has received around 60 complaints on excess fee demand. “We have sent notices to around 15 colleges. We couldn’t send to all as some complaints had particulars missing. . . ,” justice Manohar added.

The government has put a cap on fees and additional amonts that each college can charge. If any college forces students to pay extra, students can approach the committee at KEA Building, 2nd floor, Sampige Road, 18th Cross, Malleshwaram.

MBA, MCA classes from Feb 14: VTU

Classes for MBA, MArch, MTech and MCA in colleges affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University will begin on February 14. VTU said while 80% of classes have to be conducted offline, the other 20% can be completed online. Attendance is a must for both.

Colleges will have to function for six days a week, with Saturday being a full working day. The university has permitted colleges to work on Sundays, if needed.

TNN

TTD TO CONSTRUCT 11 NEW TEMPLES N A.P.

COURT NEWS

HIGH DRAMA IN GOVT.SCHOOL AS WILD TUSKAR COMES CALLING

VACCINE

FLIGHT INFO

COURT ORDERS

CHENNAI BOOK FAIR FROM FEBRUARY 16

DOCTORS

DENTAL

EDUCATION

Govt to fund girl who bagged med seat in private college

Govt to fund girl who bagged med seat in private college

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

04.02.2022

Madurai: The state government has assured financial support to S Thangapetchi, a student of Government Kallar higher secondary school at Vikramangalam near Usilampatti who got an MBBS seat in a private medical college for the second year under the 7. 5% quota for government school students. Last year, she turned down her admission offer as the announcement that the government will pay for expenses of all those getting seats under the quota including in private colleges came late.

Hailing from Panamooppanpatti village, she belongs to MBC community and her parents are daily wage labour-ers. She herself works in farms to support her family whenever she could. Aiming to become a doctor, she prepared for NEET and cleared the test both last year and this year. However, both times she could secure medical seats only in private colleges, this time in Kanyakumari, leaving her worried.

However, the government has clarified that it will bear all expenses for studies of students who got medical/BDS seats in private colleges under the 7. 5% quota. On Thursday, Madurai district collector S Aneesh Sekhar met the girl to assure her and her family of full support. He also gave her a medical lab coat and a stethoscope. BJP state president K Annamalai said they will also be providing any additional financial help that the girl may need. BJP district president Dr Saravanan has also handed over ₹1 lakh to the family for any future expenses.

Guv sleeps on bills on univ, societies & more

Guv sleeps on bills on univ, societies & more

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

04.02.2022

Chennai: While Governor R N Ravi has sent back the NEET abolition bill to the Tamil Nadu government, little known is that he has been sleeping on a few other pieces of legislation that the state has forwarded for his action.

Among the bills the governor’s assent is awaited are amendments to the Cooperative Societies Act to reduce the term of the board of directors of societies from five years to three years. Most of the directors are AIADMK representatives elected in 2018, and the present government has sent the amendment legislation to the governor.

According to the present dispensation, there was large-scale misappropriation of funds that include loans given on fake jewels. The cooperatives departmenthadfiled police complaints seeking criminal action against offenders of six cooperative banks on charges of fraud. “The Bill has been pending with the governor since January 12; there has been no word from Raj Bhavan,” said a government source.

Another under the governor’s pile is the draft Bill to set up a Siddha University for which the government had identified 20 acres on the Madhavaram dairy farm. Based on a proposal from the directorate of Indian medicine and homeopathy, the government prepared a draft bill and sent it to the governor on January 5. “The health department has been making efforts to set up the University in the annexe building of Arignar Anna Siddha Hospital in Arumbakkam. A file has been sent to the finance minister to sanction ₹ 1. 98 crore towards expenditure on staff and infrastructure,”a government official said. Any Bill that involves expenditure from the consolidated fund of the state shall not be passed unless the governor recommends the consideration of the bill.

The governor is also silent on a bill sentin September last year to amend the Bharathiar University Act to include five members from the secretaries of the college committees of the affiliated private colleges (aided and self-financing) in the syndicate. “The bill was based on a court order and considering the re- quests of the association of self-financing arts, science and management colleges, in line with the Anna University Act,” said an official.

Raj Bhavan did not respond to TOI's attempts to get a reaction from the governor.

Governor returns TN’s anti-NEET bill

Governor returns TN’s anti-NEET bill

Parties To Meet On Saturday To Mull Next Steps

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

04.02.2022

Chennai: Asserting that the anti-NEET bill passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly was against the interests of students, especially those from rural areas and economically poorer sections, governor R N Ravi returned the bill to Speaker M Appavu.

Chief minister M K Stalin, however, said the governor’s remarks were unacceptable to the people of Tamil Nadu. He announced a meeting of all legislature parties on Saturday to decide the next course of action.

An official release from Raj Bhavan said the governor took the decision after a detailed study of the Bill for admission to UG medical courses seeking exemption from NEET, and the report of the high-level committee constituted by the state in this regard, which was the basis for the bill and examined the preNEET status of social justice in medical admission especially for students coming from socially and economically poor background.

“The governor returned the bill to the speaker, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on February1, 2022, giving detailed reasons for its reconsideration by the House,” the release said.

The governor was of the opinion that the bill was against the interests of stu- dents, especially the rural and economically poor students of the state. The Supreme Court in the Christian Medical College, Vellore Association Vs Union of India case (2020) had comprehensively examined the issue, particularly from the social justice perspective, and upheld NEET, as it prevented economic exploitation of poor students and is in furtherance of social justice, the release said.

In a statement, the chief minister said,“The government will make every effort to examine the views expressed by the governor and clarify the factual position and pass the Bill again. ”

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Clarify If Removal Of Upper Age Limit For NEET-UG Is Under Consideration: Supreme Court To NMC

Clarify If Removal Of Upper Age Limit For NEET-UG Is Under Consideration: Supreme Court To NMC

Sohini Chowdhury

Live law

1 Feb 2022 10:41 AM

The Supreme Court, on Monday, asked the National Medical Council to clarify if they are considering to remove the upper age limit of 25 years and 30 years for candidates eligible for reservation, for NEET-UG, as was inserted by way of amendment to the Medical Council of India Regulations on Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997 vide notification dated 22.01.2018.

Petition was filed before the Delhi High Court challenging certain provisions of the amendment of the Regulation, including the insertion of the age limit. The Delhi High Court held the age cap to be valid. A plea assailing the same was filed before the Apex Court. Pursuant to an interim order of the Supreme Court, there is no upper age limit for appearing in the NEET-UG examination, until it decides the issue.

Advocate, Mr. Zoheb Hossain informed a Bench comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and B.R. Gavai that the National Medical Council was considering removing the age cap and therefore, they should come back to the Court with their firm stand on the issue.

"One of the issues is the upper age limit. That part of the controversy may get resolved because recently the National Medical Council has said they are considering removing that cap. Milords can put to them to come back with a firm stand."

The Bench asked Advocate, Mr. Gaurav Sharma appearing for NMC to take instructions and convey the same to it on Friday.

On Monday, the Bench was hearing a petition wherein the petitioners, though allowed in the counselling, were eventually asked to submit their Class 11 marksheets. Senior Advocate, Mr. Gangele, appearing for the said petitioners, informed the Bench that since the petitioners had passed their 10+2 as private students they were not separately issued a marksheet for Class 11.

"The petitioners have been admitted in Counselling, because they have passed 10+2 as private students, hence the Director asked them to submit 11th class marksheet. For private students 11th class marksheet is not issued. They have passed the 12th exam with subjects Chemistry, Maths, Biology, Physics with practical exams."

The Bench asked Mr. Sharma, "what do you have to say about this?"

Mr. Sharma argued that as per the main judgment of the Supreme Court as well as that of the Delhi High Court one has to undergo two years of study, which includes 11th and 12th, to be eligible.

Mr. Gangele asserted that they have already been admitted in counselling, and had completed two years of study as required, but they were not issued the marksheet for Class 11. He informed the Bench that states other than Madhya Pradesh and Punjab have already allowed candidates to take part in counselling without submitting the Class 11 marksheet.

The Bench asked Mr. Sharma to find out if that was the case and directed the registry to list the said petition on Friday, while the other matters would be taken up sometime in March.

[Cause Title: Jalaudheen T. & Anr v MCI & connected pleas]

Salary only after precaution dose: Indore collector to staffers

Salary only after precaution dose: Indore collector to staffers

01.02.2022

As many as 1,678 police personnel didn’t get their January salary on the last day of the month. They make up the biggest chunk of those being penalised, followed by 1,486 employees of Indore Municipal Corporation, 1,289 personnel of other forces and 742 health employees. Among the others are 354 revenue staffers, 212 from the MP electricity board, 178 panchayat officials, 46 court staff and even 731 private employees.

The collector has ordered that their salary for January will be released only after they submit a copy of their precaution dose certificate. When the Covid vaccination drive started, the Indore administration had identified employees of several departments as frontline workers and they were administered the vaccine in the first phase (alongside healthcare workers), the collector reminded on Monday, adding that they are supposed to take their precaution doses as well. Among the departments he listed are zilla panchayat, municipal corporation, police, security forces like BSF, cooperatives, agriculture and horticulture, apart from the health department.

Instructions had been issued to the treasury earlier to release the salaries of these employees only after they receive their due third dose, Singh said. As per official records, the In- dore treasury releases salaries of around 27,000 government employees of 45 departments. On Saturday, treasury officials compiled data on employees who have missed their precaution dose schedule. And at a review meeting on Monday, the health department said 18,831 eligible employees have received the precaution dose, and10,455 employees are yet to.

The collector has ordered that employees of private hospitals, pathology laboratories and diagnostic centres are also required to get their due precaution dose, or else their salary would be stopped by their employers. Action will be taken against private hospitals and labs if there is any neglect on this count.

TNN

2 jailed for 7 yrs in Vyapam police exam scam

2 jailed for 7 yrs in Vyapam police exam scam

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

01.02.2022

Bhopal: A CBI court in Bhopal has convicted two persons and sentenced them to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment in a Vyapam scam in a 2013 police constable recruitment test.

The convicts have been identified as Satya Narayan Yadav, a candidate, and Laxmi Narayan Yadav, who impersonated him in the exam.

CBI had registered a case on September 2, 2015, in compliance with a Supreme Court order and taken over investigation of the case that had been registered the previous year at Jehangirabad police station in Bhopal.

The duo was among those accused of being part of a conspiracy of cheating, forgery and impersonation in the police constable recruitment test-II in 2013, conducted by Vyapam.

It was alleged that Satya Narayan had used unfair means to pass the test, and the state police filed a chargesheet against him in the court of Bhopal chief judicial magistrate. Further investigation in the case was kept open. During the CBI investigation, Laxmi Narayan was identified as Satya’s impersonator in the examination.

A forensic report said that Laxmi Narayan’s thumb impression matched with the thumbprint on the OMR sheet that Satya was supposed to have filled.

CBI then filed a supplementary chargesheet against Satya and Laxmi Narayan on July 1, 2016, in a special court, which eventually found them guilty.

HC: Being govt employee no ground for bail in rape case

HC: Being govt employee no ground for bail in rape case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

01.02.2022

Bengaluru: The petitioner may be a government employee but that is not a ground to enlarge him on bail when he is accused of a serious offence like rape, the high court observed in a recent order. It denied bail to an assistant executive engineer from Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL).

Dismissing the petition filed by assistant executive engineer HN Srinivas Murthy, justice HP Sandesh pointed out that prima facie, medical evidence as well as the CrPC section 164 statement made before the magistrate disclosed the fact that he had sexually assaulted a 23-year-old woman.

The judge noted that the woman clearly stated before the magistrate that the petitioner subjected her to a sexual act against her wish and had also threatened her.

“She said her marriage had been fixed but the accused after sexually assaulting her, promised that he would marry her and also issued her a life threat.

Besides, medical evidence too is clear that her hymen was torn and the doctor is of the clear opinion that she was subjected to sexual act and material collected does not rule out the same,” the judge added.

Srinivas Murthy, who is accused of raping the woman at a homestay on September 14, 2021, had claimed he is a government employee and there had been a delay of one and a half months in lodging the complaint. According to him, the incident was alleged to have taken place on September 14, 2021, but the complaint was lodged before Kumaraswamy Layout police on November 3 and he has been in custody since November 14.

His counsel claimed no force was used in the alleged sexual act and if the petitioner continued to be in custody, it would affect his career.

Mamata blocks Dhankar on Twitter over ‘unethical acts’

Mamata blocks Dhankar on Twitter over ‘unethical acts’

01.02.2022

TIMES N EWS N ETWORK

Kolkata: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she had blocked governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Twitter to protest against his “unconstitutional and unethical acts” that were encouraging “BJP goondas” to kill TMC workers.

The remark was made hours after TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay approached President Kovind in Parliament with a request to remove Dhankhar from Bengal governor’s post. State Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury supported the demand.

Dhankhar was quick to respond. “Mandated under Article 159 of the Constitution to ensure none in the state ‘blocks’ constitutional norms and rules of law and those in authority, bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution,” he tweeted.

Banerjee said she was forced to block him on Twitter. “His acts are instigating BJP goondas to kill our workers,” the CM said, referring to the killing of a TMC member near Barrackpore on Saturday.

She also alleged that he was using Raj Bhavan to “snoop on Bengal and tap phones”. “Pegasus is being run from Raj Bhavan. We have an all-India Pegasus there (Delhi),” she said. “We have Pegasus in Delhi,here we have a super-paharadar (super guard) in Bengal. ” She said she had asked PM Modi many times to “remove this governor”. “An elected government has become bonded labourers to a nominated governor,” Banerjee said, alleging that Dhankhar was denying civic services to people of Howrah and Bally.

The governor and the TMC government had several run-ins in the past. For his part, Dhankhar reminded the CM on Sunday that “democracy survives on the rule of law, not the rule of an individual”. He also summoned the state chief secretary to Raj Bhavan on Monday.

Dhankhar questioned why the state government had “blocked information for two years”.

Grooms have to pay dowry to NRI girls

DEADLY US DREAMS

Grooms have to pay dowry to NRI girls

01.02.2022

Neelam Patel, a resident of Karjisan village in Kadi taluka of Mehsana district. added, “The expenditure depends on the route taken to the US. The dowry is higher if the woman has entered the US through Canada, and lesser if she has taken the Mexico route. ”

As per estimate, the sex ratio in the Patel community is 650 to 700 females as against 1,000 males.

Arpit Patel,a residentof Kalol, said that the lack of resources in the state has forced residents of the 42 Gaam Patidar Samaj to immigrate to the US or Canada through any means possible.

“The trend of settling in the US has been increasing among community members over the past 10 years. Mainly landowners or farmers, themen are facing trouble because land parcels are shrinking and there are not many job opportuni- ties for us. So, parents look for a suitable boy from the US or Canada. While NRI families pay dowry in lakhs if the girl is already settled in these countries,even if it is through illegal means,” said Arpit.

A suitable boy? Only if you are an NRI

Girls From 42 Gaam Patidar Samaj Prefer NRI Boys

Ahmedabad: When a man enters the marriage market, he faces inquiries about his house, job, and salary. But anyone looking to marry a girl from the ‘42 Gaam Patidar Samaj’ usually needs to answer one more question: “Do you or your relatives live in the US, or at least Ca- nada?” If the answer is no, then his chances of making the match plummets.

The skewed sex ratio and ambition to get a life partner settled abroad has led to the emergence of two new trends among this sub-sect of the Patidar community which comprises of people from 42 villages in Gandhinagar and Mehsana districts. While women prefer to marry men with NRI status, the men who are already settled in the US are paying ‘dowry’ to girls settled in the US. This usually includes the expenditure incurred by the girl’s family to help her im- migrate illegally.

One of these villages is Dingucha, a village in Kalol taluka of Gandhinagar which recently came into limelight after a family of four from the village froze to death while trying to illegally cross into the US from Canada.

Bhavin Patel, a resident of Dingucha, said, “In my com- nity, if a man has not gone to the US nor has any relative abroad, then it becomes difficult for him to find a match. There are many men who have remained unmarried because they had no way of settling in the US. This is one of the reasons that some men go to the US through dangerous, illegal routes.”

According to members of the 42 Gaam Patidar Samaj, the parents of NRI men living in the US or Canada also desperately seek women who are already in the US or Canada. “We prefer to marry within the community, but we are plagued by skewed sex ratio. This combined with the need for a partner already settled abroad means that the prospective groom’s family is ready to pay ‘dowry’ to cover the money spent by the girl’s family to send her abroad illegally. This can range anywhere between Rs 15 lakh to Rs 30 lakh,” said Neelam Patel, a resident of Karjisan village in Kadi taluka of Mehsana district.

NRIs’ custody battle: HC orders father to send kids to mother in NZ

NRIs’ custody battle: HC orders father to send kids to mother in NZ

01.02.2022

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: Putting an end to the battle involving an NRI couple for custody of their three children, the Gujarat high court ordered the father to send the children to their mother in New Zealand. The father had brought children to India on the pretext of attending social functions, kept them here and did not take them back to New Zealand despite an order issued by a NZ high court.

According to the case details, the couple married in India in 2010. The man had been living in New Zealand since 2002. After the wedding, the wife also joined him in New Zealand. They had a son, who was brought to India in 2015 and the father did not take him back. The couple then had twin sons,who werealso brought to India by the father in 2017 and their custody was entrusted to his mother and sister. His wife continued to ask him to bring the children back, but the family admitted them to a boarding school in Mehsana.

The mother tried to meet the children but failed. She even approached a local court in search of her children, but her application was rejected on thegrounds that the children werein the custody of their grandmother and aunt and this was not illegal. In 2018, the woman came to know that her husband had returned to New Zealand and she followed him. She moved a New Zealand high court, which in 2019 ordered the father to return the children to New Zealand saying their removal from the country and retention in India by the father was completely illegal and wrong.

The father did not heed the NZ high court order and kept the children in India. They were shiftedto aBengaluru boarding school. The womanapproachedGujarat HC and sought their custody in 2020. Two years later, the HC held that the children’s custody should be with the mother. The judges said, “Children would need both the parents and while spouses can cease to act as husband and wife, they cannot cease to be parents ever. ”

The HC ordered the father to take the children to New Zealand within eight weeks or arrange for their return by providing air tickets.

The children’s custody should be handed over to the mother in the presence of the barrister appointed by the NZ high court.

The father has been ordered to disclose travel details, and once the children reach New Zealand, the order of the NZ HC should be followed with regard to visitation and custody.

The father has been ordered to take the children there before March 25. If the travel details are not furnished to the mother’s lawyer, it will be presumed that he has no intention of travelling and the handing over of custody to the mother should take place in the presence of the Gujarat HC registrar (judicial) by February 25.

The HC also said that the mother, if she wishes, can come down to India and take custody and the father should bear the expenses, or the mother should appoint a trusted person to take the children to New Zealand.

No clarity on fee revision for self-financed med colleges

No clarity on fee revision for self-financed med colleges

01.02.2022

Ahmedabad: With allocation of seats in the first round of admission for medical and dental colleges in the state underway, confusion prevails about the fees of 14 self-financed colleges.

The admission committee had already announced a fee increase for eight GMERS run colleges, but no decision has been taken for the self-financed colleges. “What has caused confusion is that candidates allocated seats are to give an undertaking that they are ready to pay the revised fees in the future,” said a source.

“While the committee is yet to fix fees for the next three years. Thus, without the committee looking at any proposal for fee revision, it is strange that candidates are to give a undertaking on the unknown revised fee amount,” said a source.

TNN