Mumbai passport office issues show cause notice to Medha Patkar
NEWDELHI: The Regional Passport Office, Mumbai, has issued a show cause notice to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activist Medha Patkar as to why her passport should not be impounded for failing to disclose information regarding pendency of cases against her.
The RPO Mumbai has noted that nine criminal cases have been registered against her —three are in Barwani, one in Alirajpur and five in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh — and still pending adjudication.
“While obtaining passport bearing no... dated March 30, 2017 you have not disclosed the fact regarding pendency of above cases and obtained passport by suppression of material information
“In view of the same it is proposed to impound your passport bearing and any other passport if issued subsequently under section 10(3)(e) of the Passports Act 1967. You are requested to state why action should not be taken under section 12(1) of the Passports Act 1967,” the notice issued on October 18 said.
Passport officials have sought her explanation within 10 days from the date of this communication, failing which action would be taken.
A complaint was filed against the activist in June this year by a journalist stating that Patkar had obtained her passport by concealing and suppressing material facts from the RPO Mumbai.
According to sources, Patkar has to date not submitted any reply despite the lapse of more than 30 days.
NEWDELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Kerala government to come out with an exclusive legislation regarding the administration of the Sabarimala temple.
A bench headed by Justice NV Ramana asked the state to place before it by the third week of January next year the legislation, also covering the aspects of welfare of pilgrims visiting there.
The counsel appearing for the state said it has formulated amendments to the law that would deal with temples and their administrations, which are presently being governed by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
The draft law also proposes to give one-third representation to women in the temple advisory committee, the counsel said.
This aspect triggered a debate in the courtroom with regard to the September 2018 apex court verdict allowing the entry of girls and women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple.
The state government said that for the time being, it proposes to give representation in the temple advisory committee to only those women who are above 50 years of age. One of the judges of the bench referred to the September 28, 2018 verdict and observed that the direction allowing girls and women of all ages holds the field.
The top court was hearing a plea filed in 2011, which has raised the issue of administration of Sabarimala temple.
In August this year, the state government had told the top court that it was considering enacting a “separate legislation” with regard to the administration of the Sabarimala temple.
A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by the then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, in a 3:2 majority verdict, had referred to a larger seven-judge bench the pleas seeking review of its historic 2018 judgment allowing women and girls of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple, along with other issues of alleged discrimination against Muslim and Parsi women.