1. Over 20,000 Doctors From Gujarat Supported Strike: Indian Medical Association
Over 20,000 doctors from the state reportedly joined the 24-hour nationwide strike called by the Indian Medical Association against the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill 2019 which was passed in the Lok Sabha.
The association which has called the bill anti-poor had asked its members across the country to not attend to any non-essential services. The government hospitals in the state meanwhile claimed minimum disruption due to the strike. Superintendent of Civil Hospital MM Prabhakar said the services in the hospital were not affected since most doctors reported for duty.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat Medical Teachers Association (GMTA) has called off its strike scheduled for 1 August after the members were called for a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel. A release from the organisation said that the future course of action will be dependent on the outcome of the meeting with Patel.
(Source: DNA)
2. Inmate Gives Cops a Slip With Nature's Call as Alibi
A complaint was lodged with the Ranip police station after a Sabarmati Jail prisoner escaped from police custody on his way back from a court hearing on Tuesday.
The police said the prisoner, identified as Saifullah Khan Pathan, was arrested by Dariyapur police in 2013 in connection with a murder and forgery case. Patan, an Afghanistan national, was staying in Ahmedabad with a fake ID.
On Tuesday, he was being taken to the Metropolitan court for hearing, escorted by three Shahibaug police headquarters officers identified as ASI Valsinh, Constable Mukeshsinh and LRD Jitenkumar. The cops had taken the prisoner in a police vehicle to the court, but while returning to the jail they chose to take an autorickshaw instead.
(Source: DNA)
3. No Interim Relief for IPS Rajnish Rai From Court
The Gujarat High Court, on Wednesday, 31 July refused to grant interim relief to IPS officer Rajnish Rai in a case related to his appointment as a faculty at Indian Institute of Management – Ahmedabad (IIM-A). Rai has objected to central government questioning his appointment.
Rai, an IPS officer of Gujarat cadre, had sought voluntary retirement from the service last year and had been recently appointed as an associate professor at IIM-A. However, the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) had questioned IIM-A's move for hiring an officer, suspended by the government. Against this action, Rajnish Rai had sought an interim relief. His lawyer Rahul Sharma told the court that the Centre had twice questioned IIM-A for hiring Rai as a faculty. Sharma also raised objections against the Central government's lawyer Nirzar Desai, for buying more time from the court.
(Source: DNA)
4. Narayan Sai Rape Conviction: Gujarat High Court Releases Two of Sai Aides on Regular Bail
The Gujarat High Court (HC) on Wednesday, 31 July, released two convict aides of self-styled godman convicted of rape, Narayan Sai, on regular bail. Sai 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 – were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for being held guilty of conspiracy.
The two had moved the HC last month, appealing for suspension of their sentence, while challenging their conviction by a Surat sessions court. Ganga was arrested in 2013 while Jamna surrendered in 2014.
(Source: Indian Express)
5. Gujarat High Court Grants Bail to Alpesh Kathiriya in 2015 Sedition Case
The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday, 31 July restored the regular bail of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Alpesh Kathiriya, who had challenged the cancellation of his bail by a Surat court, earlier this year in March at the high court.
Advocate Rafik Lokhandwala, representing Kathiriya, said the bail had been restored with two conditions — that he shall not enter Surat district for the next six months, except to mark his presence with police and to attend court proceedings, and that he would stick to his 7 May undertaking on avoiding altercations with police and other authorities.
On 9 May, Kathiriya filed the undertaking stating that he “shall not try to take or gain any undue advantage of the HC’s order releasing him on bail,” if and when the court chooses to order the same.
(Source: Indian Express)
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