Mumbai Beat

Bhatankar had challenged the suspension on the ground that the municipal commissioner8217;s order has, under Section 55 1 of the BPMC Act to be ratified by the civic General Body within six months, otherwise, it lapses. He also argued that he was in charge of Zone C8217; when the building was built. However, the TMC8217;s counsel argued that the under the Maharashtra Civil Services Discipline amp; Action Rules, the six-month ratification from the General Body does not apply. The TMC also argued that as far as the General Body resolution was concerned, the government had revoked a decision to reinstate him. The bench, holding that the state government8217;s decision on the GR was not being challenged in the petition, dismissed it.

Paid holiday for industrial workers

The Bombay High Court has held that all workers, including daily wage and badli workers will have to be paid their dues for the public holiday declared for elections tomorrow. The judgement is significant as even though the order was given on a petition filed by the Mukand Kamgar Union, it is expected that all industrial houses will follow it. While in elections earlier, most badli and daily wage earners lost their salaries, or had to go to court to enforce their rights, this is perhaps the first time that suchan order has come before the elections take place. The court had on Thursday passed the orders on a petition filed by the Mukand Kamgar Union of the Kurla factory against Mukand Ltd. About 1,000 workers are estimated to be members of this union.

Advocate Susheel Mahadeshwar had argued for the petitioners on Section 135 B of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, which states that all those employed, including those who would have got their wages on the day of the elections if it were not declared a holiday, will be paid their dues and no deduction of wages would be allowed.

The legislators had also included a provision for a penal fine of Rs 500 if employers failed to do so. But there was a clause whereby the section was not be applicable to any elector 8220;whose absence may cause danger or substantial loss in respect of the employer8221;.

Dr Samant case: One more held

The Crime Branch has arrested one more person in connection with the murder of trade union leader Dr Datta Samant in 1997, taking the number of arrests to 10. Suhas alias Satish Madhusudhan Adkar 24 was arrested early this week and remanded to police custody till September 23 today. Samant was killed by the Chotta Rajan gang on January 16, 1997 at Powai. Police suspect the murder was the fallout of union rivalry. Adkar has been accused of providing shelter to the main shooter, Arun Londe, and hiding weapons used by assailants.