PTI
PATNA, April 6
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed today in the Patna High Court challenging the Bihar government’s decision to clamp total ban on sale and consumption of alcohol in the state.
An ex-serviceman A. N. Singh filed the PIL in the Patna High Court, a day after the Nitish Kumar ministry declared Bihar a total dry state.
The petition contended that the state government’s decision violated human rights of a citizen about what to eat and drink. The writ described the penal provision in the Amended Excise Act of Bihar, which was passed in the state Legislative Assembly on March 31 last, as “draconian, arbitrary and malafide” as it violated Article 14, 19, 21 and 22 of the Constitution.
The date for hearing the petition has not yet been fixed.
The petition came a day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced the state cabinet’s decision to impose total ban on sale and consumption of liquor including Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in the state with immediate effect.
HRD Ministry to send fact-finding team to NIT Srinagar
The HRD Ministry is expected to send a two-member fact-finding team to the NIT Srinagar campus which has been gripped by tension following clashes among students over the Indian cricket team’s loss against West Indies in the T20 World Cup last week.
On Friday, the NIT suspended class work and ordered evacuation of hostels following the clash between Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri students.
“The Ministry has decided to send a two-member team comprising a Director and a Deputy Secretary-rank officer, who will listen to the students there,” a senior official said.
With the situation being tense, the CRPF was deployed on the campus and the Jammu and Kashmir government has assured full security to other States students.
High Court asks Virbhadra why he isn’t joining investigation
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday put a poser to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh about his intention to join the investigation in a disproportionate assets case registered against him by the CBI.
The court made it clear that he had to join the probe even according to an order of his State’s High Court.
“Your name is there in the FIR? Why don’t you join the investigation? What is the issue [involved] in this?” Justice Pratibha Rani asked Mr. Singh’s counsel Kapil Sibal during the hearing on his plea seeking quashing of the FIR, which has been transferred from the Himachal to the Delhi High Court on the Supreme Court’s direction.
When Mr. Sibal said the petitioner was willing to join the investigation, the Judge said another issue was whether she, as a Single Judge Bench, could hear CBI’s application seeking vacation of Himachal Pradesh High Court’s interim order of October 1, 2015 restraining the agency from arresting, interrogating or filing a charge-sheet against Mr. Singh.
The court pointed out that though the case was transferred to the Delhi HC, the interim order was passed by a Division Bench of the Himachal HC. “How can a Single Judge modify an order of a Division Bench?” asked the court. The Judge said she would refer the matter to the Chief Justice and fixed the case for Wednesday.
Additional Solicitor General P. S. Patwalia, appearing for CBI, said investigation in the case was held up due to the Himachal HC’s interim order.
The CBI’s preliminary enquiry had found that Mr. Singh, while serving as a Union Minister from 2009 to 2012, had allegedly accumulated assets worth Rs.6.03 crore in his name and in the name of his kin, which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Meanwhile, Mr. Singh’s daughter Aprajita Kumari and son Vikramaditya moved the HC on Tuesday seeking quashing of a provisional order of the Enforcement Directorate to attach some of their assets under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Their petition was listed for hearing on Wednesday.
