HC judges given security after threats

HC judges given security after threats
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

AHMEDABAD, OCT 2: Two judges of the Gujarat High Court, Justice B C Patel and Justice P B Majmudar, who have in the last three months delivered landmark judgments on illegal constructions in the city, have been provided with a heavy security cover, reportedly after they received threatening telephone calls.

Half a company each of State Reserve Police (SRP) has been stationed at the houses of the two judges. Besides, both have been given an escort vehicles. Visitors are screened and their identity verified before being allowed inside their houses.

Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya declined to comment on the matter, while Principal Secretary (Home) V V R Subba Rao, when asked for the reasons for the security, remarked, ``You may collect this information from the High Court.'' Secretary (Home) K Nityanandam said he had no information about the security cover provided to the judges or reasons for it.

Police Commissioner P C Pandey confirmed that the two judges had been provided security cover, but declined to say anything more for security reasons. However, police sources said that what prompted the authorities to give security cover to the judges was the threatening calls they received about a month ago.

A division bench, comprising of Justice B C Patel and Justice Majmudar were allotted public interest litigations (PILs) around three months ago. Now Justice C K Buch has replaced Justice Majmudar, as per the new allotment of work.

In early July, the division bench had directed the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to implement its own scheme according to which certain areas in the city were identified as non-hawking zones. On July 25, the bench directed the AMC and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) to ensure that all high-rise buildings under their jurisdiction installed fire-safety devices in four weeks.

However, what sent shivers down the spines of builders and occupiers of several illegally-constructed buildings was the bench's August 24 order, directing AMC to demolish 27 shops in the cellar, eight on the ground floor, and the entire ninth floor of Center Point building at Panchvati cross-roads on C G Road. The building does not have a building-use (BU) permission, and shops were constructed in the cellar meant for parking and common amenities. The ninth floor was illegal.

A few days later, the AMC bulldozed the illegal eateries lining the rear side of Law Garden. Then the AMC wielded its hammer on the Center Point shops. As C G Road shuddered, the court then asked AMC to take action in Gopal Tower high-rise in Maninagar. The AMC demolished some 65 illegal shops there.