Judicial Accountability

PATNA: The Patna High Court on Tuesday rejected the bail petition of Siwan MP Mohd Shahabuddin in connection with an Arms Act case. Arms and ammunitions had been recovered from his house at Pratappur village in Siwan duirng a police raid in 2005. A single bench presided over by Justice V N Sinha issued a directive to the trial court in Siwan to conclude the trial in two months time by hearing the matter on day-to-day basis. The high court rejected the bail petition of Shahabuddin in this case for the third time. The charges against Shahabuddin in this case registered by Hussainganj police are that a German laser pistol (night vision pistol) and around a hundred cartridges of different make were recovered from under the bed of Shahabuddin during the raid. He was charged with being in illegal possession of the aforementioned arms and ammunitions. Earlier, the high court had directed the state government to explain why the trial of this case did not make any progress after the trial court had amended the charges against Shahabuddin on March 18 early this year. The additional public prosecutor of the state government, Shyameshwar Dayal, filed an affidavit explaining that after the charges against Shahabuddin were amended, the prosecution court sought to move the high court against that order. Subsequently, the amended charges were explained to Shahabuddin. Counter-affidavit in Tantia case: The PATNA High Court on Tuesday allowed advocate general P K Shahi to file a counter-affidavit to the writ petition of Tantia Construction which has challenged the termination of its contract for widening roads in PATNA. A single bench presided over by Justice Mihir Kumar Jha allowed the plea of the advocate general while Tantia Construction sought withdrawal of the writ petition on the ground that its another writ petition filed under the provisions of Arbitration and Conciliation Act is pending in the Kolkata High Court. Shahi submitted before the court that the state government would file a counter-affidavit against Tantia's petition as it wanted to eliminate any possibility of Tantia's suppressing facts regarding the contract. Ex-Gaya Zila Parishad chief to be back: The PATNA High Court on Tuesday set aside the order of Magadh division commissioner K P Ramaiah, who had removed the chairman of the Gaya Zila Parishad, Shobha Kumari, from her post on the ground of irregularities. A single bench presided over by Justice Navin Sinha issued a directive for reinstating Shobha Kumari as the Gaya Zila Parishad chief. The court held valid the order of the principal secretary, Panchayati Raj, Pancham Lal, who had quashed the order of Ramaiah. The court passed the order on a writ petition of Shobha. HC directive on salary arrears: The PATNA High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to come up with a scheduled time-frame and action plan on June 30 by filing an affidavit for paying salary arrears accrued to Magadh University teachers as per UGC recommendations and other dues of teaching and non-teaching staff. A single bench presided over by Justice Navniti Prasad Singh also fixed May 23 as the date for hearing the matter related to non-payment of provident fund of teachers and non-teaching employees, including those who retired after filing writ petitions. The order was passed in the presence of the chief secretary, principal secretary, human resources development department and the vice-chancellor and registrar of Magadh University. The advocate general, P K Shahi informed the court that the state government has the obligation to pay the accumulated Rs 1500 crore arrears of salary of teachers and non-teaching employees of different universities of the state. But at present, it is difficult for the government to make the entire payment at one go and so it is prepared to first pay Rs 200 crore to the universities in this regard, he added.
21 May 2008, 0538 hrs IST , TNNTHE TIMES OF INDIA