NEWS

The mere smell of alcohol on a person is not sufficient to book him for being in a public place in an intoxicated manner, the Kerala high court said on Monday.

Justice Sophy Thomas made the observation on a petition filed by Salim Kumar of Kollam through advocate IV Pramod. The petitioner, a village assistant, had challenged a case registered by Badiadka police under Section 118(a) of the Kerala Police Act.

As per Section 118(a), any person found in a public place in an intoxicated manner or riotous condition or incapable of looking after himself can be booked for causing grave violation of public order or danger.

In a bid to boost the handloom sector in the state, Telangana’s IT and industries minister KT Rama Rao has written to the Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal for sanctioning a mega powerloom cluster at Sircilla under the Comprehensive Powerloom Cluster Development Scheme (CPCDS).

This is the seventh time KTR has written to the Centre urging it to sanction the project.

In the latest letter, KTR pointed out that Sircilla has been a major hub of handloom and textiles activity for several decades and has the requisite ecosystem, including trained manpower required for such a mega powerloom cluster.

The home of Congress leader and former Union minister Salman Khurshid in Satkhol area in Ramgarh block of Nainital district was vandalised on Monday afternoon.

Around two dozen men, who onlookers said belonged to right-wing outfit Bajrang Dal, staged a demonstration in front of the house, where they burnt an effigy of the Congress leader, vandalised his house, and set fire to a portion of the residence. An FIR has been registered against around 20 people, police said. Only one of the accused has been identified by the caretaker, who said one of the agitators pointed a pistol at his daughter-in-law.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has written to the Union ministry of education to take “appropriate action” on a complaint received against Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU), Motihari, Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, for allegedly violating central university norms and the ministry’s directions. Sharma’s term as the VC of MGCU ended in February this year after which he was given an extension by the ministry until his successor is appointed, for which the process is on.

In a communication sent to the ministry on November 10, UGC under secretary (central university) AS Sajwan said, “I am hereby directed to enclose herewith a copy of complaint/representation received through email against the vice-chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU), Motihari, Bihar, and request you to take an appropriate action in the matter as MoE (ministry of education) is the appointing authority and enquiry against a vice-chancellor comes under the purview of the MoE.”