The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Why not narco test on tax evaders?: High Court

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 08, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Why not narco test on tax evaders?: High Court

Staff Reporter

Government advocate promises to inform officials concerned

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday sought to know from the State Government why it does not subject tax evaders to narco analysis and polygraph tests.

A Division Bench comprising Justice K.L. Manjunath and Justice Arali Nagaraj made this observation when it was dealing with tax matters.

The Bench told the Additional Government Advocate that when criminals and anti-socials who had embezzled or duped people or the State of a few lakhs of rupees could be subjected to these tests, why could people who had evaded tax to the tune of lakhs and crores of rupees could not be subjected to these tests.

The Government Advocate submitted that he would write to the department concerned about the suggestion.

Students’ plea

Four engineering students of Karnatak University, Dharwad, on Thursday petitioned the High Court against a notification by the university prescribing a fee of Rs. 10,000 for a question paper set under the old syllabus, Rs. 15,000 for two papers and Rs. 25,000 for more than two question papers in a semester. The students — Krishna Rayareddi of Dharwad, Santosh Kumar J. of Bellary, D. Laxman Jagatap of Haveri and Vidudala Harikrishna of Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh — said they were engineering students and that they still had to clear some subjects under the semester system.

They wanted the court to quash a notification by the Registrar (Evaluation), Karnatak University, prescribing abnormally high fees under the old scheme. They urged the court to direct the Registrar to fix the fees for BE repeaters as had been fixed for the B. Arch (bachelor’s degree in architecture) course.

Krishna Rayareddi said he had taken up a course in mechanical engineering in SDM College in 1993. He said he was yet to clear some subjects. Santosh Kumar said he had taken up a course in BE mechanical in Gokhale Institute of Technology in 1997 and that he had to clear 46 subjects, including practicals.

Laxman said he had joined a course in Electronics and Electrical Engineering in 1998 and he had to clear 14 subjects. Harikrishna, studying Computer Science at SDM College, said he had to clear 21 subjects.

All the students said if they were to pay the fees as had been prescribed by the university, they would have to pay lakhs of rupees. They urged the court to quash the notification and direct it to collect a reasonable fee. Justice Mohan Shantanagouder ordered issue of notices and adjourned hearing on the case.

Dismissed

Justice Mohan Shantanagouder on Thursday dismissed a petition by employees of a first grade college in Saligrama in K.R. Nagar in Mysore district challenging the decision of the State Government to withdraw the grant-in-aid facility to the institution.

The 12 petitioners, including lecturers, laboratory assistants and other employees of Sri Chennakeshava First Grade College, had moved the court against the withdrawal of aid. All the petitioners said they were all married and that they had set up a house sin Saligrama and their children were studying in schools.

They said that after the Government opened a first grade college in Saligrama, the number of students coming to their institution came down. When the student intake went down, the Government decided to transfer staff to colleges in other places. Saying that this move was illegal and discriminatory, they urged the court to direct restoration of the aid.

The Government opposed their plea and said despite being adequate time, the institution had not taken recognition from National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). Justice Mohan Shantangouder dismissed their petition.

Nursing courses

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice B.S. Patil on Thursday heard several interlocutory applications (IA) by nursing institutions in the State. The court had asked the institutions to file IAs after they had either obtained suitability certificate from the Indian Nursing Council (INC) or if their institution had not been inspected by the INC.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka