India to frame law to tackle NRI wedding issues; those who abandon wives may face action

Bengaluru, Apr 23: The Karnataka government on Wednesday promulgated 'The Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Ordinance 2020' that provides the state with a power to seal borders, restrict essential services and punish those attacking public servants and damaging public property.

The Ordinance comes after violence in Padarayanapura when the police and BBMP officials were attacked while they tried to take some secondary contacts of a deceased COVID-19 patient into quarantine on April 19.

The Ordinance, which was promulgated after the Centre's guidelines in this regard, said, "The offender shall be liable for a penalty of twice the value of public or private property damaged as determined by the Deputy Commissioner after an inquiry."

It further said that if the penalty is not paid by the offender, then the amount shall be recovered under provisions of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964. The Deputy Commissioner can even attach the property of such offender in due course.

Also, abetment of offence would attract imprisonment of up to two years and a penalty of Rs 10,000 or both.

"No person shall commit or attempt to commit or instigate, incite or otherwise abet the commission of offence to cause loss or damage to any public or private property in any area when restrictions and regulations are in force to contain any epidemic disease," the Ordinance said.

Whoever contravenes such provision shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months, but may extend to three years and with fine which may extend to Rs 50,000, it added.

On Wednesday, the Centre brought an Ordinance to end violence against health workers, making it a cognisable and non-bailable offence with imprisonment up to seven years for those found guilty.

"We have brought an Ordinance under which any attack on health workers will be a cognisable and non-bailable offence. In the case of grievous injuries, the accused can be sentenced from six months to seven years. They can be penalised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakhs," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar briefed media after Cabinet meeting.

Javadekar said that an amendment will be made to the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and ordinance will be implemented.
This comes amid nationwide lockdown in the wake of COVID-19.

Bengaluru, Jun 30: The judicial, non-judicial and administrative functions of the Karnataka High Court has been suspended for Tuesday, for sanitisation of the entire court complex due to "unavoidable circumstances".

The High Court in a notice informed about the decision on Monday.

"It is hereby notified to the litigant public/learned advocates/party-in-person/officers and staff of the High Court of Karnataka, Principal Bench, Bengaluru that, the judicial/non-judicial/administrative functions of the High Court is hereby suspended for one day -- on June 30, 2020, for sanitisation of entire High Court complex, due to unavoidable circumstances," the notice read.

Hassan, Jul 16: In fresh incident of cast killing, a Dalit youth in Alur taluk of Hassan district was shot dead yesterday by the relatives of the girl with whom he was in love. 

The deceased identified as Madhu, a 30-year-old resident of Soppinahalli village. He had taken a 25-year-old girl with him and was planning to marry her after taking her family into confidence.  

The relatives of the girl, who belong to upper caste, claimed that Madhu had kidnapped the daughter of one Ramesh of the same village. The girl's uncle Rupesh had waylaid Madhu when he was on the way to the field and shot at him. 

The body of the deceased as been shifted to a mortuary. The accused Rupesh has gone absconding. Sources said that the family of Ramesh has strongly opposed the inter-caste marriage.