QAhmedabad: 40 Leaders Resign From Congress Bharuch Unit & More

Here is your round-up of top stories from Ahmedabad.

The last couple of months have gone reasonably well for the Congress party – even being in the reckoning in Gujarat is an achievement in these times.

(Photo: Saumya Pankaj / The Quint)

1. 40 Leaders Resign From Congress Bharuch Unit

Over 40 leaders and workers of Bharuch Congress resigned from the party, alleging inaction by party president, Parimalsinh Rana, in condemning the stone-pelting incident in Bharuch on Friday, 5 July, and a clash between protesters and police in Surat on the same day. One person was injured when some people pelted stones on the Jagannath Rath Yatra procession in Bharuch on Friday.

Policemen who were present at the spot immediately took control of the situation and the rally proceeded further without much problem. Bharuch police had also arrested one person and detained two minors in this connection.

On the same day, tension gripped Surat when a protest rally against the lynching of Tabrez Ansari in Jharkhand clashed with the police in Nanpura area. Police fired in the air and lobbed tear gas shells to control the crowd, and arrested six people.

(Source: The Indian Express)

2. Naroda Gam Riots: Kodnani Can Travel out of Gujarat for Another 6 Months

An accused in the 2002 Naroda Gam riots and former minister of women and children development in the state, Maya Kodnani, who sought a modification in her bail condition last week seeking permission to move out of Gujarat as and when required, was granted the same by a special court for trial of riot cases, on Saturday, 6 July.

Kodnani’s bail order dated 19 May 2009, restrained her from leaving Gujarat without the prior permission of the court. Kodnani sought to modify/relax this condition for six months.

Earlier this year, she moved a similar application, seeking complete deletion of this condition. The request was rejected and instead she was granted partial relief. In an order dated 7 January this year, Judge MK Dave relaxed her initial bail restriction and allowed her to move out of the boundaries of Gujarat for a period of six months from the date of such orders. The relaxation was valid until 7 July.

(Source: The Indian Express)

3. Convicted in Rape Case, Narayan Sai’s Aides Move Gujarat High Court for Relief

The Gujarat High Court on Monday issued notice to the state government, returnable by 18 July, in connection with a criminal appeal by two convict aides of self-styled godman, Narayan Sai who is convicted for rape. He and four others were convicted on charges of rape in April this year.

Sai’s two female devotees and aides – Ganga alias Dharmishta Mishra, a resident of Motera ashram in Ahmedabad; and Jamna alias Bhavna Patel, a resident of Gopalpuri street in Jaipur Rajasthan – who were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for being held guilty of conspiracy, moved the Gujarat High Court, appealing for suspension of their sentence. The two are lodged in jail. Ganga was arrested in 2013 while Jamna surrendered in 2014.

A Surat sessions court order of 30 April by additional sessions Judge PS Gadhvi, sentenced Narayan Sai to life imprisonment along with convicting four other aides of Narayan. Of the four, three associates – Ganga, Jamna and Hanuman, a resident of Bihar – were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. Another aide, Sai’s driver, Ramesh Malhotra, was sentenced to six months of imprisonment.

(Source: The Indian Express)

4. Leader of Opposition Deposes Before Gujarat High Court in Ahmed Patel's Rajya Sabha Poll Case

Leader of opposition in the state legislative assembly Paresh Dhanani on Monday, 8 July, deposed before the Gujarat High Court in connection with the election petition filed by BJP's Balvantsinh Rajput challenging the Rajya Sabha poll victory of Congress veteran Ahmed Patel. He was cross-examined by assistant solicitor general Devang Vyas, who appeared as a counsel for Rajput.

During the three hour cross-examination, Dhanani was rebuked by the court for not answering the simple questions raised by Vyas and was warned for trying to waste the court's time with his explanation. Dhanani refuted before the court that he was given ticket for assembly elections and was made the leader of opposition because he helped Ahmed Patel in winning the election.

(Source: DNA)

5. Gujarat High Court Asks Govt to Identify and Rehabilitate Manual Scavengers

Miffed with the lackadaisical approach of the state government in dealing with the issue of manual scavenging, the Gujarat High Court on Monday issued an array of directions to the state government to curb the inhuman practice. The division bench of Justice SR Brahmbhatt and Justice AP Thaker has directed the government to identify manual scavengers working in the state and work for their rehabilitation.

The court has also directed the government to take the help of NGOs working in the domain to reach out to those who are still working as manual scavengers. This apart, the court has also directed the government to create awareness in the society against manual scavenging, so that the practice can be put to end.

Also, the court asked the government to constitute a state-level monitoring committee as enshrined under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, so that the practice can be stopped.

(Source: DNA)