------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2006 * * * Y E A R * * * O F * * * T H E * * * S E N I O R ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Goa Sudharop Annual Awards on November 20, 2006 @ Mandovi Hotel @ 4:30pm Chief Guest: Dr. Asha Vishwanath Sawardekar
A series of essays as a tribute to Goan Seniors can be found at: http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=524 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kerala High Court Directs DRC To Co-operate With Investigation By SAR NEWS KOCHI, Kerala (SAR NEWS) -- Justice K R Udhayabhanu of the Kerala High Court on November 10 has directed the Divine Retreat Centre at Muringoor in Thrissur district to co-operate with the investigation team. Justice Udhayabhanu was disposing the petition filed by the Director General of Prosecution of Kerala, P G Thambi demanding that the police investigation at the Centre should not be obstructed. The court observed and made it clear that the investigation team was empowered to investigate into the allegations levelled against the DRC. The justice said if there was any obstruction, it could be reported to the high court. The opposition party members had staged a walk-out from he Kerala Assembly on October 17 over the police raid at the DRC on September 30 and October 1. Kerala Congress Party Chairman K M Mani, former law minister, had stated on the floor of the assembly that the raid held by policemen was "cruel, heinous and infringement of all norms of fairness". "The behaviour of the policemen with the AIDS patients at the Centre infringed the international standard of behaviour stipulated by the WHO towards them," Mani added. The inspection at the DRC was carried out by the investigating team consisted of medical doctors and policemen following the direction of the Kerala High Court eight months ago. The inspection by the police should be held without causing obstruction to the religious functions in any manner, the judge observed. The court further held that the investigating team should consist of women officials if the inspection was conducted at a place where women stayed, Udhayabhanu added, the investigating team should take meticulous care in conducting the inspection at the centre wisely. The police was empowered to conduct the investigation at the DRC according to the order of this court March 10 last. During the investigation, the police officers can exercise their right to interrogate the witnesses and record their statement strictly according to the rules of the Criminal Procedure Code, the judge said. The policemen should be careful in keeping their identity card with them and be in mufti while inspecting the places where women and mentally disabled people housed. The Director General of Prosecutions argued in the court that the inspection at the Divine Retreat Centre was being portrayed as 'raid' with a view to kindling the religious sentiments of the minority and for making political profit out of it. The Director of the DRC, Father George Panackal had also approached the high court praying that the rid at the centre be declared 'illegal' and the officials involved in the raid should pay a compensation of Rs 10 million to the DRC. -- FN 9822122436 +91-832-240-9490 (phone calls after 1 pm please) _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list Goanet@lists.goanet.org http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org