1. Bombay HC’s Senior Most Judge Justice Dharmadhikari Resigns Citing Personal Reasons
The Bombay High Court’s senior most judge Satyaranjan Dharmadhikari has resigned on account of some “personal and family reasons.” He tendered his resignation on February 11, with effect from Friday.
“I have resigned for the sake of my family. I am 61 (years old) now and want to be with my family,” justice Dharmadhikari told reporters on Friday.
Speaking about his elevation to the post of chief justice, justice Dharmadhikari said the discussion has been going on for over four months. He said discussion about his elevation started immediately after justice Vijaya Kapse Tahilramani resigned as chief justice of the Madras high court in October 2019.
Source: Hindustan Times
2.MVA Allies, BJP Lock Horns As Bandra Fort Beautification Proposal Rejected
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies and the BJP on Friday locked horns after the Shiv Sena-led civic body’s Standing Committee turned down a proposal on beautification of the Bandra fort citing the absence of clearances from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Mumbai Maritime Board (MMB).
As per the proposal, backed by local BJP MLA Ashish Shelar, the civic body had planned to spend Rs 20.62 crore – Rs11.87 crore on construction activities, Rs 2.47 crore on garden work and the remaining sum on miscellaneous heads – for the beautification of the 17th-century structure and its precincts. It had also planned to develop a cycling track and urban forestry around the fort The work was proposed to be completed in one-and-a-half-year.
On Friday, Standing Committee member and local Congress corporator Asif Zakaria said several permissions pertaining to the project were pending and that there was no concrete plan on how the encroachment around the fort would be removed.
Source: Indian Express
3. Principal Secy to Ex-CM Prithiviraj Chavan Joins Thackeray CMO
Senior bureaucrat Ashish Kumar Singh Friday assumed charge as Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
As per an order issued by Thackeray-led General Administration Department (GAD) Singh, a 1988-batch IAS officer, who is also the head of the transport department, will hold the charge in additional capacity till further orders. Sources in the state secretariat, however, have not ruled out that the transfer might be permanent.
The order comes at a time when Bhushan Gagrani (1990 batch), previously appointed as Principal Secretary to Thackeray, is away on a two-week vacation. Gagrani has applied for leave till February 24.
While the department hasn’t issued an order to relieve Gagrani from the post, it is likely that he might be transferred to another post on return, official sources said.
Source: Indian Express
4. Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant to Head State’s Parliamentary Coordination Panel
The state government on Friday appointed Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant as the president of the Maharashtra State Parliamentary Coordination Committee to coordinate with the Centre on certain pending issues. The state government’s notification in this regard said Sawant will have Cabinet minister rank with an office in Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi.
In the three-member committee, “two other members, one each from Congress and NCP, are likely to appointed soon”, an official said.
The decision was taken during a meeting of all party MPs in the last week of January ahead of the Parliament session, sources said. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray while NCP chief Sharad Pawar was also present.
Source: Indian Express
5. Bombay HC Stays Order Asking YouTuber to Take Down Coconut Oil Review Video
The Bombay High Court appeal bench on Friday stayed a single judge order passed last month asking a YouTuber to take down a review video containing alleged defamatory and disparaging remarks about a prominent brand of coconut oil.
A division bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Bharati Dangre passed an interim order after it recorded submissions made by YouTuber Abhijeet Bhansali that he would modify content in the video since he does not wish to “quibble” over the dispute. Observing that social media influencers, irrespective of their audience being significant or not, impact the lives of everybody who watches their content a single judge bench of Justice S J Kathawalla had directed the video blogger to remove the video. The order was passed after Marico Limited filed a plea seeking removal of the video and claimed special damages from him. Challenging single bench order, Bhansali had moved before the division bench.
Source: Indian Express
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)