High court directs that seats be provided to accused during trial

CHENNAI: Why should people accused in criminal cases not be allowed to sit in court halls during trial, the Madras high court has asked.

"We see no reason why, if there are benches vacant, even the accused who come to the court cannot be seated there," said the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam, in an apparent bid to make the court experience easier for not only witnesses, but also the accused.

The judges then directed the court's registrar-general to look into the issue and make available seating facilities for accused in the criminal and trial courts.

"We find it difficult to accept that any court would deliberately make a woman or an expectant mother to stand in the court," they observed, adding that if a person is of advanced age or if any expectant mother even in the witness box that person can be seated, if required. "The purpose is to record the testimony and not to cause pain or physical inconvenience," they said.

In this regard, the judges cited the 33-year old judgment of the Supreme Court in the Avatar Singh and others Vs State of Madhya Pradesh (1982) case which said: "We are unable to understand how any court in our country can at all insist that the accused shall keep on standing during the trial, particularly when the trial is long and arduous. We hope that all the high courts in India take appropriate steps, if they have not already done so, to provide in their respective criminal manuals required under Section 477(1) of the CrPC, that the accused shall be permitted to sit down during the trial unless it becomes necessary for the accused to stand up for any specific purpose as for example for the purpose of identification."

Reiterating the need to follow the dictum laid down by the Supreme Court, the first bench said the high court's registrar-general should issue necessary direction/office order in the matter.

The judgment has come at a time when trial courts are making witnesses and suspects go through highly forgettable court experiences, said former special public prosecutor for human rights court V Kannadasan. "In most trial courts, accused and those who come to courts for surrender or recall of warrants are made to squat on the floor, and no one is allowed to enter with chappals on. Accused are herded into the box with folded hands and bowed heads," he said.

The issue of providing seats to witnesses and accused came up for court's consideration when a PIL filed by A Jaiganesh of Satta Panchayat Iyakkam came up for hearing. Seeking a direction to all judicial and quasi-iudicial forums in Tamil Nadu to re-arrange their paraphernalia in such a way as to treat victims, witnesses and suspects with dignity by offering them a seat, the PIL submitted that citizens arraigned as accused and summoned by criminal courts are denied a seat and forced to stand for hours.

It also cited the case of the arrest of RTI activist Siva Elango, who was detained for taking a seat during a hearing at Tamil Nadu State Information Commission. Assailing the "mindset" of judicial and quasi-judicial authorities and the treatment meted out to Siva Elango, the PIL claimed that the then chief information commissioner had told protesting RTI activists that he was a retired chief secretary of a state and hence others should remain standing during hearings.

Relegating victims, witnesses and suspects in criminal and civil trials to the far-end of court halls and herding them like cattle is unfair, the PIL said.

Chhattisgarh government’s no fee refund policy for MBBS seats cause anxiety among aspirants

Chhattisgarh government's latest policy of "no refund" of fee to MBBS students, who have taken admission in medical colleges through the state's PMT, is causing anxious moments to many parents as the All-India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), which was cancelled by the apex court due to fraud and cheating, is being re-conducted on July 25, which coincides with the second session of counselling for the seats in the state.

According to officials, Chhattisgarh's new PMT Admission Rules 2015 clearly state that of no fee would be refunded to students once admission is granted to them. The first counselling session for filling up 82 % of the available 805 MBBS seats in the state has already been held and the second session is scheduled for July 25.

Talking to TOI, a concerned parent said he would stand to loose the Rs 3.8 lakhs deposited for his son's admission in Chandulal Chandrakar Medical College, in case he clears his AIPMT exam and gets admission in a better college. He suggested that the state government should delay the counselling and the admission process till the declaration of the AIPMT results.

"What would happen if I go ahead with the PMT counselling and pay the fee to secure my seat here, but later also clear the AIPMT," said a student, requesting anonymity. He said he had checked with the admission cell and they had clearly told him that no fee would be refunded.

When contacted Director medical education, Pratap Singh, confirmed that the fee will not be refunded once a student gets admission in any of the college during counselling. He said if any student clears AIPMT and chooses Chhattisgarh then he would have to first surrender his or her seat of state quota of that college and then take admission under AIPMT quota with full fee.

Officials said earlier, the government used to permit refund of fee after 10% deduction as administrative charges. However, new rules do not permit this. Incidentally the first year's fee in government colleges is Rs 29000 and in private colleges (state quota) is Rs 3.80 lakhs.

Another AIPMT aspirant, Prafful, (name changed) said, "It has become really difficult for us. We have to make preparations for the AIPMT again and at the same time schedule our counselling at medical colleges". He said many parent have written to the MCI and health ministry to postpone the counselling in medical colleges.

Appreciating the decision of the Supreme Court, a professor in a medical college said, "It is good that the SC has given an early deadline of August 17 to the CBSE for declaring result. This would ensure that the session is not delayed".

Fill vacancies without loss of time in the interest of students: court

Whenever a post fell vacant following the resignation, retirement or death of a serving teaching faculty, the college management shall fill the post by a qualified teacher without loss of time in the interest of the students, the Madras High Court has observed.

Passing a common order on a batch of petitions, Justice D. Hariparanthaman recalled the court’s interference in the action of some educational institutions which had refused to approve the appointment of teachers, since “that action would ultimately affect the poor students who will seek admission in various courses in aided colleges, wherein no fee or nominal fee is collected.”

Several petitioners working in Scott Christian College at Nagercoil had moved the court seeking to direct the Director of Collegiate Education to approve their appointment as assistant professors in various departments of the college in the existing vacancies with monetary and all other service benefits on the similarly placed persons.

The Director of Collegiate Education had issued a proceeding on April 4 to the Registrar of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University stating that it should not grant approval for the qualification unless the authorities concerned sanctioned the grant and hence the petition.

The judge directed the Collegiate Education officials to grant approval to the appointment of the petitioners within four weeks as they were appointed against the regular vacancies.












Petitioners working in Scott Christian College at Nagercoil had sought approval of their appointment as assistant professors

‘Cannot deny VRS for already punished employee’

A government servant, who had already faced disciplinary proceedings initiated by the department, cannot be disqualified from opting for voluntary retirement from service, the Madras High Court has held.

Passing orders on a petition by R. Lakshmi of Motor Vehicles Maintenance Department, Justice D. Hariparanthaman said that Rule 56 (3) (e) of the Fundamental Rules placed restriction for going on voluntary retirement only if disciplinary proceeding was contemplated or pending.

The petitioner, who had put in over 37 years of service, had on April 20 sought permission to go on voluntary retirement which was rejected by the authorities and hence the petition.

The Additional Government Pleader submitted that the petitioner’s increment was stopped for three years with cumulative effect from 2005 and the same was considered her disqualification to opt for voluntary retirement.

The judge said that a person seeking voluntary retirement shall be allowed to retire voluntarily unless there was any disqualification, and quashed a Government Order rejecting her application seeking voluntary retirement.

Further, the court directed officials to relieve her from service by July 31.



Petitioner, who had put in over 37 years of service, had on April 20 sought permission to go on VRS and it was eventually rejected

Denial of subsistence allowance is deprival of livelihood, says HC

Describing that denial of subsistence allowance amounted to deprival of an employee’s livelihood, the Madras High Court has observed that the management of a cooperative society cannot deny payment of the allowance to a suspended employee on the ground that it was incurring loss.

In a recent order, Justice D. Hariparanthaman said, “If the society is running at loss, it can very well close its business. The alleged loss incurred by the management cannot be a ground to deny the payment of subsistence allowance.”

Petitioner G. Mohanan sought a direction to the authorities to disburse the subsistence allowance to him for the period under suspension from November 26, 2012 to May 31, 2015 to the tune of Rs. 8.99 lakh for every succeeding month.

Counsel appearing for the co-operative society said that though it was willing to pay the allowance, it sought six months to pay the arrears of subsistence allowance.

The judge said, “I am not inclined to give the time sought for. Denial of subsistence allowance amounts to deprival of livelihood and is violative of Article 21 of the Constitution.”

The judge further directed the president of Meyyur Primary Agricultural Co Operative Society at Uthukottai in Tiruvallur district to pay arrears of subsistence allowance to the petitioner within four weeks and continue to pay the allowance every month till the completion of disciplinary proceedings.



‘If the society is running at loss, it can very well close its business. The alleged loss incurred by tit cannot be a ground to deny the payment of subsistence allowance’

Annual increments come 14 years after retirement

Almost 14 years after he retired, a 73-year-old man is all set to receive the annual increments which he was supposed to have been paid during his 39-year service in the Highways Department. An order to this effect has been passed by the Madras High Court.

Justice D. Hariparanthaman directed the Chief Engineer of the Highways Department and the Director of Rural Development Department to take appropriate action for getting annual increments for petitioner K. Velappan for his entire service within 12 weeks and he shall be paid the arrears accordingly.

The petitioner joined the Department as Road Inspector on November 15, 1961 and his service was regularised from January 14, 1965. However, he was not sanctioned annual increments from the day he joined service to December 21, 1988 in view of the delay in the orders of regularisation issued to him.

Till the day he retired from service as Junior Engineer on August 31, 2000, he was not sanctioned even a single increment except the minimum scale of pay in the respective posts.

Even after 14 years of retirement, the petitioner was being paid a sum of Rs. 2,750 as provision pension.

இனி ரேஷன் உணவு பொருட்களுக்கும் நேரடி மானியம்

புதுடில்லி : மத்திய அரசு, சமையல் 'காஸ்' சிலிண்டரை தொடர்ந்து, நியாய விலை கடைகளில் விற்கப்படும், உணவுப் பொருட்களையும், நேரடி மானிய திட்டத்தின் கீழ், கொண்டு வர முடிவு செய்துள்ளது.

முதற்கட்டமாக, யூனியன் பிரதேசங்களில் இத்திட்டம் அறிமுகமாகிறது. புதுச்சேரி, சண்டிகர், தாத்ரா மற்றும் நாகர் ஹவேலி யூனியன் பிரதேசங்களில், நுகர்வோரின், 'ஆதார்' எண்ணுடன் கூடிய வங்கிக் கணக்கில், ரேஷன் பொருட்களுக்கான மானியத் தொகை சேர்க்கப்படும்.
துவக்கத்தில், ஒரு குடும்பத்திற்கு, 500 - 700 ரூபாய் வரை, வங்கிக் கணக்கில் வரவு வைக்கப்படும்.
இத்திட்டத்தின் கீழ், வங்கிக்கணக்கில் மானியம் பெறுவோர், நியாய விலைக் கடைகளில் உணவுப் பொருட்களை வாங்க முடியாது.அதே சமயம், குடும்ப அட்டையில் அதுவரை வாங்கிய பொருட்களின் அடிப்படையில் அல்லாமல், குறிப்பிட்ட தொகை மானியமாக நிர்ணயிக்கப்படும். இத்தொகை, நுகர்வோரின் வங்கிக் கணக்கில், மாதந்தோறும் சேர்க்கப்படும்.

உதாரணமாக, ஒருவர் அரிசி, கோதுமை போன்றவற்றை பல காலம் வாங்காமல் விட்டிருந்தாலும், அனைத்து பொருட்களையும் வாங்கியோர் பெறும் அதே மானியத் தொகையை, இந்த நபரும் பெற முடியும்.யூனியன் பிரதேச எம்.பி.,க்களின் கோரிக்கையை ஏற்று, அங்கு இத்திட்டம் அறிமுகப்படுத்தப்படுகிறது.

அதே சமயம், இத்திட்டத்தை செயல்படுத்துவது, அந்தந்த மாநில அரசுகளின் விருப்பம் என, மத்திய அரசு தெரிவித்துள்ளது.இந்நிலையில், அனைத்து மாநிலங்களுக்கும், மத்திய அரசு அறிக்கை ஒன்றை அனுப்பியுள்ளது. அதில், வரும் டிசம்பருக்குள், நுகர்வோரின் ஆதார் ஆவணங்களை, 'டிஜிட்டல்' வடிவிற்கு மாற்றி, பொது வினியோக திட்ட தகவல் தொகுப்புடன் இணைக்க அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.அவ்வாறு இணைக்காத பட்சத்தில், பொது வினியோக திட்டத்திற்கான உணவுப் பொருட்கள் சப்ளை நிறுத்தப்படும்.இத்திட்டத்தை, வரும் டிசம்பருக்குள், ஏதேனும் ஒரு மாவட்டத்தில், சோதனை முறையில் அறிமுகப்படுத்தி, நியாய விலை கடைகளில், 'பயோமெட்ரிக்' சாதனங்களை நிறுவ, மாநில அரசுகள் அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன.

இத்திட்டத்தை செயல்படுத்தும் போது, எதிர்கொள்ளும் சாதக, பாதக அம்சங்கள் குறித்து, மாநில அரசுகள் அறிக்கை அளிக்குமாறும், கேட்டுக் கேட்டுக் கொள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளன.அரசுக்கு சேமிப்பு: தற்போது, 89 சதவீத ஆதார் ஆவணங்கள், டிஜிட்டல் வடிவிற்கு மாற்றப்பட்டுள்ளன. டில்லியில், 25 ஆயிரம் நியாய விலை கடைகள், டிஜிட்டல் மயமாக்கப்பட்டு, ஆதார் எண்ணுடன் இணைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.

ஆந்திராவின், கோதாவரி மாவட்டத்தில், 100 சதவீத பொது வினியோக திட்டம், கடந்த மே முதல் டிஜிட்டல் மயமாகியுள்ளது.இதன் மூலம், போலி ரேஷன் கார்டுகள் பிரச்னை ஒழிந்து, அரசுக்கு முதல் மாதத்திலேயே, 8 கோடி ரூபாய் மிச்சமாகியுள்ளது. இந்த வகையில், ஓராண்டில், இம்மாவட்டத்தில், 100 கோடி ரூபாய் மிச்சமாகும் என, மதிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.



அதிகரிப்பு:



* கடந்த, 2004 - 05ல், பொது வினியோக திட்டத்தின் கீழ், மானிய விலையில் அரிசி வாங்குவோரில், கிராமப்புற குடும்பங்களின் பங்கு, 24.4 சதவீதமாக இருந்தது. இது, 2011 - 12ல், 46 சதவீதமாக அதிகரித்துள்ளது.
* மண்ணெண்ணெய்க்கான மானியத்தையும், வங்கி கணக்கில் சேர்ப்பது குறித்து, மத்திய அரசு பரிசீலித்து வருகிறது.