1. Gujarat HC Seeks Budgetary Break-Up on Healthcare
The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday, 19 June directed the state government to provide the court with a detailed break-up of budgetary allocation and expenditure by the state on healthcare, while acting on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an Ahmedabad-based retired doctor.
As per the directive of the division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Anant Dave, the state is also expected to provide the details of expenditure and budgetary allocation for government institutions vis-a-vis government-aided institutions and other healthcare institutions that may be run by charitable trusts. The budgetary break-up to be provided by the state, is expected to include the Centre’s allocation for Gujarat’s health budget as well as the state’s healthcare budget.
Petitioner’s advocate Khemchand Koshti raised a contention that the state’s healthcare expenditure was towards strengthening government-aided private medical institutions, instead of focusing solely on providing better healthcare.
(Source: Indian Express)
2. Dalit Dy Sarpanch Waited for Security, Killed by Suspected Upper Caste Men
Manji Solanki, a Dalit deputy sarpanch of a village in Gujarat, whose application for police security was pending for almost two weeks, was murdered, allegedly by a group of men from upper-caste Kshatriya community on Wednesday, 19 June.
From Jalila village in Ranpur taluka of Botad district, Manji was riding his motorcycle when it was knocked down by a car whose occupants then beat him up with clubs and iron pipes, said Manji’s son Tushar Solanki. He died en route to a hospital in Ahmedabad.
R N Nakum, Deputy Superintendent of Police of Botad division, which covers Ranpur, said information shared by the victim’s family about the sequence of events appeared plausible.
“We have sent a team to Ahmedabad to collect information and then register an offence. But the crime scene suggests that what the victim’s family is saying looks prima facie true,” Nakum said.
(Source: Indian Express)
3. Chudasama Election: Gujarat HC Adjourns Case for 4th Time
The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday, 19 June adjourned for the fourth time the hearing on a petition challenging State Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama’s 2017 electoral win.
Congress leader Ashwin Rathod who contested against Chudasama in Dholka Assembly constituency has alleged in his petition that the returning officer illegally invalidated 429 postal ballots, resulting in Chudasama’s win by margin of a mere 327 votes.
Meanwhile, returning officer Dhaval Jani has now filed an election application, seeking modifications to the court’s 2 April order, which had taken note of several violations and breaches by Jani, as gathered from his deposition. Since the court’s 2 April order, Jani was transferred and relieved of Lok Sabha duties.
Both matters — Rathod’s petition as well as Jani’s election application seeking modification to 2 April order — have now been adjourned to 25 June.
(Source: Indian Express)
4. IPS Officer Rajnish Rai Who Took on Govt Is Now Faculty at IIM-Ahmedabad
Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rajnish Rai, whose voluntary retirement is being contested by the union and the state government, has joined India's premier management school – the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad as a faculty member.
Rai was appointed an assistant professor in the public systems group on 6 May, 2019.
Rai has been at loggerheads with the state government after he made arrests in 2007 in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter case that included IPS officers DG Vanzara (retired), Rajkumar Pandian and Rajasthan cadre IPS officer Dinesh MN.
Highly placed sources at IIM-A confirmed his presence on campus. They said, "It has been 50 days that he has joined the campus but he is keeping a low profile. He brings with him immense practical as well as academic knowledge especially in the area of strategy."
(Source: DNA)
5. Molestation at PG: UberEats Delivery Boy in Ahmedabad Arrested
Navrangpura police has arrested Bhavin Shah (29), a delivery boy for UberEats in a molestation case at a women's paying guest facility. On the night of 14 June, Shah had sneaked into the third floor of a PG on CG Road occupied by 12 girls.
When he found a door unlocked, he entered the room and found the caretaker asleep on a couch. He touched her inappropriately and when she didn't wake up, he started to masturbate.
After that, he entered one of the bedrooms, when a girl saw him and raised an alarm. Shah fled the spot immediately on his bike. The incident was caught on CCTV cameras at the PG.
A complaint was lodged with the Navrangpura police station against the accused on Wednesday afternoon (19 June) by the caretaker.
(Source: DNA)
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