Regional
‘Rapid industrialisation leads to pollution’
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir Saturday expressed concern over rapid industrialisation and growing population leading to increase in air and water pollution.
He said the judiciary has infused life in many environmental laws through its judgments, which earlier existed only on papers.
Speaking at a seminar on “Pollution, a growing menace” organised by the state legal services authority here, Justice Mir cited an example of the Supreme Court to expand the right to life under article 21 of the constitution to hold that the right includes the right to live with human dignity.
“It must include the right to basic necessities of life, including clean and hygienic environment,” he added.
He cited the judgments of the apex court holding that the right to live includes the right to enjoy pollution free water and air.
The chief justice said he belonged to Jammu and Kashmir and promised that he would discharge his duties as the chief justice to protect the pristine beauty of Himachal Pradesh too.
Justice Sanjay Karol said he has considered himself privileged to be a member of the green bench, which was earlier set up in the high court to hear environmental cases.
“Pollution is a grave problem and the high court has taken serious note of the problem. It has passed many landmark judgments and orders against violators of the environmental laws be it a person or a group, government authorities or statutory bodies,” he said.
Home
What monkey fled with a bag containing evidence in it: Read full story
The court, generally, considers a person who commit a crime and the one who destroys the evidence, as criminals in the eyes of law. But what if an animal destroys the evidence of a crime committed by a human.
In a peculiar incident in Rajasthan, a monkey fled away with the evidence collected by the police in a murder case. The stolen evidence included the murder weapon (a blood-stained knife).
The incident came to light when the police appeared before the court and they had to provide the evidence in the hearing.
The hearing was about the crime which took place in September 2016, in which a person named Shashikant Sharma died at a primary health center under Chandwaji police station. After the body was found, the deceased’s relatives blocked the Jaipur-Delhi highway, demanding an inquiry into the matter.
Following the investigation, the police had arrested Rahul Kandera and Mohanlal Kandera, residents of Chandwaji in relation to the murder. But, when the time came to produce the evidence related to the case, it was found that the police had no evidence with them because a monkey had stolen it from them.
In the court, the police said that the knife, which was the primary evidence, was also taken by the monkey. The cops informed that the evidence of the case was kept in a bag, which was being taken to the court.
The evidence bag contained the knife and 15 other important evidences. However, due to the lack of space in the malkhana, a bag full of evidence was kept under a tree, which led to the incident.