The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday ordered issue of notice to the Union and State governments on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking directions to the authorities to ensure crash testing for all types of small cars.
A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice B.V. Nagarathna passed the order on the petition filed by H.D. Ranganath, a city-based orthopaedic surgeon.
Citing recent road accident cases, including the one involving a high-end car — in which actor Hema Malini was travelling — which hit a small car, killing a child travelling in it, the petitioner said small cars, weighing up to 1,500 kg, also should be subjected to mandatory crash tests before they are approved for sale.
It was pointed out in the petition that many small and mid-sized cars, and quadricycles, had “failed” crash tests for safety assessment conducted in foreign countries.
Chewing tobacco
In another case, the Bench ordered issue of notice to the Union and State governments on a PIL petition seeking a direction to the authorities to prohibit the manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of all forms of chewing tobacco, including flavoured or scented tobacco, plain or mixed with other additives.
In its petition, the Cancer Patients Aid Association, said the authorities had failed to prohibit the sale and manufacture of chewing tobacco in Karnataka under the Food Safety and Standards Authority Act and the regulations framed under this law.
Sale of chewing tobacco, whether going by the name of chewing tobacco, kharra, khaini or zarda or by whatsoever name called; whether packaged or unpackaged; sold as one product or packaged as separate products, and sold or distributed in such a manner as to facilitate mixing by the consumer or to be consumed plain, cannot be permitted, the petitioner claimed.
