Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Aug 10: The state high court has ordered the city mayor, Kavita Sanil, and corporation commissioner, Mohammed Nazeer, to deposit Rs 20,000 each for failing to appear before the court even after notices seeking their personal presence were served. The notices pertained to raiding of Green Valley Unisex Salon at Balmatta Road in the city by the mayor and seizure of the shop by locking it on behalf of the city corporation to block its operations.The two had raided the salon, accusing it of being run illegally. The high court has asked them to deposit Rs 20,000 each in the office of the court registrar.
Owner of the salon, Francis Kiran Lasrado and manager, Vinoda,, had approached the high court duly questioning the action of the mayor and other officials in seizing the salon without following due process of law. The single judge bench presided over by Justice Vineet Kothari had, on August 2, sought personal appearance of the city mayor and commissioner to file affidavits explaining the basis on which the salon was raided and seized.
As both of them failed to be present on Wednesday August 9 in the court when the case came up for consideration, the bench expressed unhappiness and asked both the defendants to deposit Rs 20,000 each in the court, and adjourned the hearing, duly directing them to be personally present in the high court during the next hearing. The case now stands posted to August 13.
The petitioners have claimed that the salon had obtained licence as per rules from the city corporation and that it has not violated any rules or norms. They said they were not served with notices before raiding and locking up their premises on July 11.
As both of them failed to be present when the case came up for consideration, the bench ordered imposition of fine amounting to Rs 20,000 each on the two, and adjourned the hearing, duly directing them to be personally present in the high court during the next hearing.