In High Court

Plea against bail to Taurani turned downThe revision application challenging bail granted to Tips Cassettes owner Ramesh Taurani, an accu...

Plea against bail to Taurani turned down

The revision application challenging bail granted to Tips Cassettes owner Ramesh Taurani, an accused in the Gulshan Kumar murder case, was rejected today. Justice Vishnu Sahai said the government had applied for cancellation of the bail 18 months after it was granted in February 1998. He said while the government feared that Taurani might either abscond or tamper with evidence, it took no immediate steps to apply for cancellation of bail.

Justice Sahai also said the application coincides unhappily with 8220;the prospect of extradition of Taurani8217;s co-accused, Nadeem Saifee, in London8221;.Taurani was arrested on October 4, 1997, in connection with Gulshan Kumar8217;s murder on August 12. The high court granted Taurani bail on October 23, 1997.

Contempt plea against Thackeray adjourned

The high court today directed Advocate General C J Sawant to ascertain whether the Maharashtra government proposed to take any action on a representation against BalThackeray, Shiv Sena chief and editor of Saamna, for his alleged remarks against the judiciary. The direction came from the bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabrahwal and Justice A P Shah.

It adjourned a petition by the Brashtachar Nirmulan Samiti seeking contempt action against Thackeray and Saamna for publishing remarks against the judiciary with respect to a verdict on a PIL challenging the transfer of IAS officer Arun Bhatia.

Thackeray, in an editorial, reportedly said the judge who ordered Bhatia8217;s reinstatement as Pune8217;s municipal commissioner early this year should control the reins of administration from Mantralaya, not from his court. The petitioner said he had protested in a letter to the President, who forwarded his representation to the home ministry and the state government. But no action had been taken till date. The advocate general sought time to seek instructions from the government. The petition was adjourned to Oct 15.

Re-examination for B Pharm students allowed

Bachelor ofPharmacy students were today allowed to reappear for the exam to be conducted by the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences MUHS in November. The ruling comes in the wake of a group of writ petitions filed by students who claimed that they had failed in the first year due to the confusion/bungling in the pharmacy syllabus.

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The court said such students will be given an opportunity to reappear for the exam. Those who pass the first year exam will undergo additional tutorial classes to be on par with second year pharmacy students and take the exam next June. The petitions arose out of discrepancies between the pharmacy syllabus followed by MUHS and by universities in the state.

MUHS sent circulars to other universities claiming control over the syllabus and exam of the first year pharmacy course. It despatched its teaching pattern and syllabus to universities between October and January 1999. However, 7 colleges complained about the confusion regarding the circulars. MUHS clarified that circularssent in March were applicable to next year8217;s syllabus. 2,400-odd students took the exam, of which 1,875 failed. The latter moved court attributing their failure to the confusion.