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OBCs representation in local bodies: SC gives Karnataka govt time till March 31

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The Supreme Court on Thursday granted the Karnataka government time till March 31, to complete the finalisation of OBCs political representation in local bodies.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Karnataka government, submitted before a bench of Justices S. Abdul Nazeer and Hima Kohli that a commission has been appointed to undertake the process, and it also includes the collection of empirical data for the purpose.

In October, the Karnataka High Court had set aside the state government’s decision to fix 33 per cent quota for OBC in 243 wards of the Municipal cCorporation of Bengaluru. While quashing the August 16 notification of the civic body quota matrix, the high court said that the decision was based on imaginary data and not through a scientific exercise.

The government ‘s decision was based on the recommendation made by a commission headed by former Karnataka High Court judge Justice Bhaktavatsala.

During the hearing on Thursday, counsel, representing the State Election Commission, submitted that it would lead to further delay in holding the polls. At this, the top court said: “This is an opportunity for representation of OBCs. Let them get representation. Give them some time.”

Mehta also contended that the poll panel should not be concerned about the delay.

The bench said that OBCs would not get representation, if polls were to be held without the completion of the process.

Citing the high court’s order, Mehta said a fresh exercise was being conducted to comply with the triple test norm, which was laid down by the top court to give reservation to the OBCs.

After this development, it is expected that there would be further delay in local bodies polls, which includes Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) whose term had expired in September 2019.

The high court said the state’s notification for reservation for backward classes, based on the report submitted by the commission, is contrary to the triple test set down by the Supreme Court.

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Controversy and tension over removal of ‘I Love Muhammad’ banner in Mumbai’s Kurla VB Nagar, ‘I Love Muhammad’ banners and widespread protests in Maharashtra

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Mumbai: After an FIR was registered in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, UP, after peaceful protests across the country and the world, banners of Maharashtra and Mumbai ‘I Love Muhammad’ were displayed, after which last night the Kurla VB Nagar Police along with the BMC issued an order to remove the banners of ‘I Love Muhammad’, after which Muslim youth protested against it and the youth said that they are ready to take a case in this matter but will not remove the banners. The ‘I Love Muhammad’ movement has intensified in Maharashtra and Mumbai. In this matter, Senior Inspector Popat Ahwad of Kurla VB Nagar confirmed this and said that the situation is peaceful and there was some mistrust, which has been resolved. At present, the police in Mumbai and Maharashtra have temporarily stopped the process of removing the banners, this has been confirmed by a senior police officer. Similarly, at 8:30 pm last night, an ‘I Love Muhammad’ banner was placed by unknown persons near the Bhiwandi ACP office. Mumbai And now in Maharashtra, communal elements are trying to spoil the atmosphere under the guise of the banner of I Love Muhammad. A senior police officer has emphasized the need to be alert. The I Love Muhammad movement intensified in Maharashtra and Mumbai on Friday. In such a situation, communal elements are conspiring to spoil the atmosphere on this issue. In Mumbai and Maharashtra, there was a huge protest against the registration of an FIR against Muslim youth in Kanpur for writing I Love Muhammad. In Mumbai, Muslims protested carrying placards of I Love Muhammad. The streets echoed with the name of I Love Muhammad. Mumbai Police has now started monitoring the situation after this controversy, along with this, monitoring is also going on on social media.

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Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway Tragedy: 16-Month-Old Toddler Dies After Ambulance Carrying Him To Hospital Gets Stuck In Traffic On Thane’s Ghodbunder Road

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Palghar: A 16-month-old boy lost his life on Thursday after the ambulance carrying him to a Mumbai hospital was trapped in a prolonged traffic jam on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Thane district, according to people close to his family.

The child, had been staying at his grandmother’s home in Pelhar, Palghar district, when he accidentally fell from the fourth-floor balcony while playing. He sustained serious abdominal injuries in the fall.

Neighbours said that the child was initially rushed on a motorbike to a private hospital in Naigaon, where doctors managed to stabilise him briefly before advising urgent transfer to a specialised hospital in Mumbai. His family arranged for an ambulance, but the vehicle became stranded in gridlock on the highway due to repair work on the Thane-Ghodbunder Road, which had forced closure of a key stretch from 6 am to 9 pm.

Unable to move further, the ambulance diverted to a hospital in Sasoon Navghar, between Thane and Vasai, where doctors declared the toddler dead on arrival. Hospital officials later confirmed that he had passed away before admission.

The tragedy has triggered widespread anger among residents, who blamed civic and traffic authorities for poor planning and lack of emergency measures. Citizens have demanded immediate implementation of green corridors for ambulances, stricter restrictions on heavy vehicles during peak hours, and accountability for lives lost due to prolonged congestion.

Traffic snarls have paralysed commuters for several days on both the Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Mumbai-Nashik highways, with vehicles reportedly stranded for up to six hours. In another incident on Thursday, a woman recently discharged from Bhaktivedanta Hospital had to wait for more than five hours on the roadside near Fountain Hotel as her father’s car remained stuck in traffic at Vasai.

On July 30, a 49-year-old woman, Chhaya Kaushik Purav, a resident of Madhukar Nagar in the Saphala area who suffered severe injuries in a tree fall incident, died when the ambulance ferrying her got stuck in a massive traffic jam on a highway in Palghar.

The authorities are yet to issue a formal statement on the condition of the highway, leaving commuters uncertain about when relief can be expected.

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Delhi Court Adjourns Bail Plea Of BMW Crash Accused Gaganpreet Kaur To September 24 As Police Cite Pending Probe

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New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday put off till September 24 the hearing on the bail application of Gaganpreet Kaur, the main accused in the Delhi BMW fatal accident case, accepting the police plea that they were yet to seize her mobile phone and driving licence.

Judicial Magistrate Ankit Garg was told by investigators that they were not in favour of granting bail to her at this stage as the probe was still at a nascent stage.

Opposing Kaur’s plea, the police said that the mobile phone used by her to contact family members after the accident was a crucial piece of evidence.

“We have not yet recovered the mobile phone and driving licence of the accused,” said the prosecution lawyer.

The defence counsel informed the court that Kaur’s phone is with her husband and it will be handed over to the police by Saturday evening.

He claimed that Kaur’s driving licence was earlier given to investigators but if it is still not on record the family shall resubmit it to the police.

Kaur has been arrested in connection with the death of Navjot Singh, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, and serious injuries to his wife, Sandeep Kaur, in an accident on September 14 near Dhaula Kuan.

The fatal accident occurred around 1 P.M. on September 14, near the Delhi Cantt Metro Station. The victim couple was returning from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara on a motorcycle when they were hit by a BMW car, allegedly driven by Gaganpreet Kaur. Her husband, Parikshit, was seated in the passenger seat at the time of the crash.

In a parallel development, the court issued notice to the police on a separate application filed by the accused, requesting preservation of CCTV footage from the accident site.

On Thursday, the court indicated that there was no legal provision allowing sharing of CCTV footage with the accused in a criminal case.

After the accident, the police registered a case under various penal provisions, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and rash and negligent driving. The police is also probing possible attempts to tamper with evidence.

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