Jignesh Mevani, 9 others jailed for 3 months in 2017 unlawful rally case

News Network
May 5, 2022

A magisterial court in Mehsana, Gujarat, on Thursday, 5 May, sentenced Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani and nine others to three months' imprisonment for holding a rally from Mehsana in July 2017 without prior police permission. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Reshma Patel was also among those convicted. All the convicts were also fined Rs 1,000 each.

This comes days after an Assam court granted bail to Congress' Mevani in a 'manufactured' assault case. The Gujarat MLA had first been arrested in connection with a case over tweets on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate JA Parmar, who passed the judgment, said, "It is not an offence to hold a rally, but it is an offence to hold a rally without permission," reported The Indian Express. The court further said that "disobedience can never be tolerated."

The court said while pronouncing the judgment that the 10 accused could have challenged the order of the executive magistrate before appropriate higher authorities and then held the rally after receiving due permission.

Mevani and his associates had taken out an 'Azadi Kooch' from Mehsana to Dhanera in the neighbouring district of Banaskantha on 12 July 2017 to mark one year of the public flogging of some Dalits in Una.

Kaushik Parmar, one of Mevani's associates, had sought permission for the rally from the Mehsana executive magistrate under the banner of Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch. The permission was initially granted but revoked by the authorities later. However, the rally was still held by the organisers.

After the rally, the Mehsana Police registered a case under Section 143 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for unlawful assembly against Mevani and others as they hadn't been granted permission to hold the march. The police had also submitted a charge sheet against 12 people in the case.

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya Kumar, who is now part of the Congress party, had also attended the rally.

The framing of charges by the court had taken place in April 2021. However, Kumar was absent during the same. The court had passed an order to hold a separate trial against him when he appeared before the court.

The trial against the 10 accused began in April 2021. It excluded Kumar and another accused, who had died.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
December 2,2025

DKSsiddu.jpg

Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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News Network
November 22,2025

Mangaluru: Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H has warned of strict action against individuals spreading rumours and attempting to create insecurity within the Muslim community and fuel hatred between Hindus and Muslims through social media.

Referring to a recent social media post alleging that police personnel had entered a masjid premises to check whether beef was being cooked, the commissioner said miscreants were attempting to push their communal agenda. 

“A group of people, both from Mangaluru and abroad, are trying hard to spread rumours. For the past 10 days, they have been attempting to rake up old issues, highlight routine matters as controversies, or fabricate news altogether,” he said.

He reiterated that any such attempts to disturb communal harmony would invite legal action. “Cases will be registered and the accused will be brought to book,” he stated.

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