22 lakh traffic cases unresolved

New Delhi (PTI): As many as 22,45,879 cases of petty traffic offences and 17,19,569 relating to bounced cheques are pending before the country’s courts, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

These cases are normally decided in the courts of first-class judicial magistrates, metropolitan magistrates or chief judicial magistrates, minister of state for law and justice K. Venkatapathy said.

A conference of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts, however, had recommended last March that these cases should be transferred to special metropolitan magistrates and special judicial magistrates.

The recommendation has been forwarded to state governments, the minister said.

Rights panel glare on railway

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission on Monday issued a notice to the Indian Railways over the death of 37 passengers after an overbridge caved in on a train in Bhagalpur.

It has asked the Railway Board to respond within two weeks to allegations that the Ulta Pul was waiting to collapse.

The panel said that newspaper reports had pointed out that trains were allowed to ply on the track in violation of railway safety norms. It had also been reported that the overbridge had developed cracks three years ago because of heavy traffic.

Jute mill shut

Barrackpore: Work at Naihati’s Nadia Jute Mill was suspended on Monday, rendering about 3,000 people jobless.

The mill management cited low productivity as the reason for the closure.

Matka king

Mumbai: Matka king Suresh Bhagat has been arrested in Mumbai. Bhagat, who runs Kalyan Matka, told police on Sunday that he supplies morphine to some Bollywood celebrities.

PIL on Suneil

Mumbai: A PIL has been filed in Bombay High Court demanding contempt proceedings against actor Suneil Shetty and film associations that had tried to organise a signature campaign in support of Sanjay Dutt. A division bench of Chief Justice H.S. Bedi and Justice V.M. Kanade has asked the actor and the film associations to file their reply by January 24, the next date of hearing.

Kanpur police have launched a move to prevent accidents due to drunken driving. Such drivers will not only be challenged but separate cases will also be registered against them.