HC refuses advance bail to Rajenthra Bhalaji
The Hindu
Cases pertain to job racketeering
The Madras High Court dismissed anticipatory bail petitions filed by former Minister K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji in two cases filed against him for having allegedly cheated government job aspirants after receiving huge amounts of money from them.
Justice M. Nirmal Kumar refused to grant the relief after the State Public Prosecutor, Hasan Mohammed Jinnah, said the inquiry was in the preliminary stage, and the police had recorded the statements of several people who claimed to have given over ₹3 crore through multiple sources to secure government jobs.
The court was told that the first complaint was lodged on November 15 by S. Ravindran, the owner of an electronics shop, who had reportedly met the then Minister in October 2020 and given ₹30 lakh to his close associate Vijaya Nallathambi to secure the post of Aavin District Manager for his nephew. Though it was argued on behalf of the former Minister that Mr. Nallathambi was a person known for shifting loyalties from one political party to another, and was not reliable, the judge said that though the prime accused appeared to be involved in job racketeering since 2015, the second accused (former Minister) had approved his misdeeds by remaining passive. “In this process, innocent persons lost their money and future, which cannot be ignored,” he said, and directed the police to prioritise the case.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.
The High Court of Karnataka on Monday declined to interfere, at present, in the investigation against a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, who is among the accused persons facing charges of circulating obscene clips, related to “morphed” images and videos clips related to Prajwal Revanna, former Hassan MP, in public domain through pen drives and other modes.
The 16th edition of Bhoomi Habba was held on June 8, at the Visthar campus. The festival drew a vibrant crowd who came together to celebrate eco-consciousness through a variety of engaging activities, creative workshops, panel discussions, interactive exhibits and performances, all centered around this year’s theme: “Save Water, Save Lives.”