Petition filed in High Court against corporal punishments

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad,June 16 : A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the AP High Court on Saturday, challenging the inaction of the state government in preventing “corporal punishments” to children in schools. Mohammed Shahbaz Ahmed Khan, a city resident, moved the PIL contending that as per the United Nations convention, the state was required to protect the child from all forms of physical and mental violence, torture and other cruel and degrading punishment or treatment.

He said the government has to ensure that school discipline was administered in a manner consistent with the child’s human dignity and in conformity with the UN convention. He urged the court to direct the government ensuring that the school authorities forthwith form the ‘school management committees’ to address the issues of corporal punishment.

ACB to probe charges on excise officials

Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy has directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau to conduct inquiry into the corruption allegations against certain officials of excise department of Kadapa district, and submit a report to the court.

The judge was dealing with a petition by M/s Sri Balaji Wines of Kadapa challenging an order, suspending its licence, passed by the prohibition and excise sub-inspector. The petitioner alleged that at the instance of the district commissioner of prohibition and excise, the sub-inspector implicated a false case against the shop owners. He alleged that the officials have demanded Rs 3 lakh to close the case against the shop. When they failed to pay the amount, the officials passed order suspending the licence of the shop.

Court permits withdrawal of petitions

A HC division bench has permitted to withdraw the petitions challenging the government’s decision in prescribing minimum educational qualification for paramedical courses as Intermediate, in place of Class X. The petition by vocational junior colleges from across the state had sought permission to admit the students with Class X qualification for the courses from 2013.

The state government argued the Intermediate Board has not committed any error in prescribing the Intermediate as qualification for the courses. The bench asked the petitioners to establish how their rights were violated with the government decision. When they failed to satisfy, the bench has decided to dismiss the petitions.

Then the petitioners urged the bench to permit them to withdraw their pleas.