PWD slammed for failing to heed order on desilting equipment

First bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan said, “We are informed that de- spite a lapse of 25 days, the visit to the Port Trust to see the feasibility of the machine for measuring the extent of the silt has still not taken place!  It is this lethargy which troubles us. “ However, the bench on recording the submission of PWD, Secretary, who was present in court, that a visit will be organised within a week and necessary decision will be taken thereafter, posted the case for further hearing to December 9. Also, the bench differed on the petitioner’s plea of having an independent Committee to do at least a sample survey, based on the Additional Advocate General request for some time to work things out before proceeding with the appointment of such a committee to carry out the sample exercise. The petitioner V. B. R. Menon in his plea had sought to protect water bodies using GPS based gadgets to execute quality work. He had suggested that without proper equipment it will not be possible to measure the extent of silt and thus decide on how much de-silting is required.

The fifteenth Additional Sessions Court on Tuesday sentenced a woman and her son to life for murder.

As per the prosecution, Padmavathi Ammal of Triplicane was upset with her husband Mani, for sexually exploiting women living on the pavement. With a similar incident happening on December 14, 2012, Padmavathi along with her son Yuvaraj hit him with an iron rod killing him on the spot. Subsequently, in a bid to hide the murder, the mother-son duo cut up Mani’s body into seven pieces, packed it in bags and carried it to Chinnachekkadu in Manali. Using the petrol, they had purchased on the way, they set fire to the body parts. However, four persons in that area on suspecting foul play, nabbed the duo and handed them over to Sholavaram police. In the probe, thereafter they conceded to killing Mani. The sessions judge who heard the case on finding that the murder has been proved beyond any reasonable doubt sentenced them to undergo life imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs. 15,000 each.

The Madras High Court has rapped the authorities for failing to enforce the law relating to illegal hoardings and has directed the formation of a single window system committee to clear installation of hoardings.

First bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan, said “The persons putting up such hoardings seem to believe that violation is a norm and when detected, they can carry out the rectification and this shows that there appears to be no fear of consequences of breaking the law.” Based on this it held that “In view thereof, recourse to Sec. 326-I of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, becomes necessary to act as a deterrent to ensure that compliance should be the norm and violation should be an aberration.” The bench was passing interim orders on a PIL from one Muthukrishnan of Tondiarpet seeking to remove the illegal hoardings and streamline the licence granting system. Sec. 326-I stipulated imprisonment for three years or fine of Rs. 10,000 or both for violators of the Act. Petitioner had also emphasised that it was not merely the question of hoarding, but the structure on which it is installed, the height and the location. 

The bench directed the committee, constituted by it earlier, to keep all these aspects in mind before considering the grant of licence for hoardings. It should also be ensured that when the hoarding is taken down, the structure on which it was installed should also be brought down. The authority shall specify the nature of the structure which can be built, to avoid enormous sizes. Stipulating one month period as time for grant of licence for hoardings and to act on complaints of illegal hoardings, the bench adjourned the matter till January 19.