The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Can IT be used to trace missing persons, court asks police

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 04, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Can IT be used to trace missing persons, court asks police

Staff Reporter

High courtround-up Superintendent of Police of Dakshina Kannada district summoned

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court, which took note of a report in The Hindu on the use of information technology in the police department in Dakshina Kannada, has asked the Superintendent of Police of the district to be present before the court on Monday next, and inform it whether IT can be used to trace missing persons.

The report from Mangalore said investigation of cases could be expedited if IT was used.

A Division Bench, comprising Justice R. Gururajan and Justice Jawed Rahim, which was hearing a habeas corpus petition by a woman from Udupi, said the police did not have all the records sought by the court during an earlier hearing.

The Bench said it was happy to note the deployment of IT in the police department, and efforts made to use the technology for the investigation of cases. It asked State Public Prosecutor (SPP) S. Dore Raju to ensure that Superintendent of Police P., Dayananda was present in the court. If possible, an affidavit on "expeditious investigation of a case using IT" should be filed, the court said. The Bench adjourned hearing of the case.

Shifting of units

A Division Bench, comprising Justice V. Gopala Gowda and Justice C.R. Kumaraswamy, directed the Government and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to honour a court order by taking steps to shift industrial units from Ramachandrapuram, Bangalore, as it was a residential area.

The court directed the Government and the KSPCB to submit, within two weeks, a compliance report on the matter. It said there was air and noise pollution in the area. Referring to a sketch produced by the KSPCB, the Bench said industrial units were located alongside houses.

Residents of the area had complained of pollution, and said though the KSPCB had ordered the units to be shifted, it was not taking action, allegedly following a letter from an MLA.

The Bench said many industries had not complied with the directions of the board. "It is a well-established principle of law that in a residential area, unless change of land use is granted by the State under Section 14 A of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, neither the KSPCB nor the local self-government can issue a consent order (for such industries to operate).

Complaint

The Bangalore city police on Monday filed an affidavit in the Karnataka High Court after a woman from West Bengal filed a complaint that she was deserted by her husband.

Jayanthi Khemka said she met Munish Goyal at a spiritual camp at Durgapur, West Bengal, in 2003. They became friends, and he proposed to her. When Munish shifted to Bangalore, she joined him. They got married at a temple on August 12, 2005. Jayanthi became pregnant, and Munish asked her to go in for an abortion. She agreed reluctantly. Later, Munish left for the U.S., and she stayed in a house on Mosque Road rented by them till she was asked to vacate the building. She approached the police and moved the High Court.

The Frazer Town police told the court that Munish was in the U.S. and were unable to produce him. They said they were told that Munish went to that country on a business visa on June 12, and was expected to return in the second week of August.

A Division Bench, comprising Justice Gururajan and Justice Rahim, adjourned hearing of the case.

Sentence confirmed

A Division Bench, comprising Justice B. Padmaraj and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer, on Monday confirmed an order of a Hassan court sentencing 44 persons of Kamasamudra, Arsikere, to life imprisonment for the murder of three villagers in 2002.

The prosecution said the murder was committed following disputes over the post of president of a gram panchayat, a fair price shop and a milk union.

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