In the High Court

Hearing on PIL against Maya kept for Jan 11
The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court has fixed January 11 as the next date of hearing of the PILs seeking prosecution of Chief Minister Mayawati and her Cabinet minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui in Taj Corridor case. The date was fixed by Justices Abdul Mateen and Y K Sangal on Tuesday after hearing Mayawati’s lawyer and senior BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra who argued that the Supreme Court has already quashed a special leave petition in this regard. Three separate PILs were filed by Anupma Singh,Kamlesh Verma and K Ahmad challenging CBI court’s June 2007. Though the then Governor had declined to grant statutory permission,the PIL said the permission was not required for prosecution of those holding high public offices in case they were charged with criminal offences like cheating,fraud or forgery as in the Taj case. PTI

Centre’s response sought on item numbers
The High Court has sought a response from the Centre on a PIL demanding immediate banning of Bollywood item numbers Munni Badnam Hui and Sheila ki Jawani on the grounds that they are against decency and morality. While passing the order on Tuesday,the Lucknow bench of the High Court fixed January 10 as the next date of hearing. On December 23,one Nutan Thakur filed a PIL urging the High Court to halt the release of Hindi film Tees Maar Khan till it continues to item song. In her petition,Thakur claimed the two songs have made a “bad” impact on the society. “Such unfortunate events have already started taking place where girls,working women and even housewives are being teased and molested more so when their names are either Sheila or Munni or other similar sounding ones,” she claimed.