Hindi English Translation || Editorial || To abide or not: On the Karnataka case and corruption charges

To abide or not: On the Karnataka case and corruption charges

Corruption charges (आरोप, अभियोग) need credible (विश्वसनीय, भरोसेमंद) probe, not processes tainted (दूषित करना, कलंकित करना) by politics

The decision of Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to grant approval to a private complainant (शिकायतकर्ता, अभियोगी) to open an investigation and prosecute (मुकदमा चलाना) Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on corruption charges raises familiar politico-legal (राजनीतिक-कानूनी) questions. Foremost (सबसे महत्वपूर्ण, प्रमुख) is the constitutional (संवैधानिक, विधिक) question whether a Governor can use his role as a sanctioning authority for prosecution (अभियोजन) against a serving (कार्यरत, वर्तमान) Chief Minister in a manner contrary (विपरीत, विरोधाभासी) to the advice of the Council of Ministers (मंत्रिपरिषद). And in political terms, one may ask whether the Governor’s action against a Chief Minister is desirable in a time of increasing conflict (संघर्ष, विवाद) between the two offices. In his writ petition (an application to a court for a writ (a formal written order) when when any of the fundamental rights are violated) challenging the order, Mr. Siddaramaiah has sought to highlight (प्रमुखता देना, उजागर करना) that the Governor was bound to abide by (पालन करना, मानना) the advice given to him — to refuse sanction (approval, support, acceptance) in this case. Some judicial precedents (a past action/event/decision that is seen as an example; previous example, previous instance, prior instance, previous case, example) say a Governor may arrive at (reach, make, sanction, draw up, endorse (a decision)) an independent conclusion if the Council demonstrates bias (prejudice, partisanship, favouritism, unfairness, one-sidedness) or fails to consider relevant material (information, data, facts and figures, evidence, particulars, details). However, political realities would suggest (indicate, point to, signal, signify, denote) the possibility (chance, likelihood, probability) of Governors being selective (particular, picky, choosy, discriminatory) in pursuing (engage in, conduct, take part in (an activity)) this course of action (plan (of action), method of working, approach, procedure, technique, strategy). Amidst (amid, in the middle of; during) the Opposition’s demands for Mr. Siddaramaiah’s resignation, the Karnataka High Court has asked the trial (court case, lawsuit, hearing, inquiry, legal proceedings, proceedings, legal action) court to defer (stay, suspend, shelve, put off, postpone) any precipitate (hasty, rash, hurried, rushed; sudden, unanticipated) action until it hears his challenge to the Governor’s order. The allotment of sites by the Mysore Urban Development Authority (In 1988, the CITB was renamed as the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) with its role as the planner of the city and developer of residential neighborhoods) to landowners who had lost their land in the course of (during a period of time; during the entire time, at the same time as, at the time, for the time being, all the while) acquisition (obtaining, acquiring/procuring, appropriation) may or may not involve corruption, and allegations (accusation, charge, indictment) in this regard (relating to something (a point, issue, matter or topic) you have just mentioned) will require a thorough investigation.

The State government believes that the judicial inquiry (a formal (legal) investigation) it has ordered is enough for now (for the time being, for the present, for the moment), a step the Governor thinks is inadequate. The Chief Minister’s wife was given 38,284 square feet of land in lieu of (instead of, as an alternative for, as a replacement for, in exchange for, in place of) an extent of 1,48,104 sq.ft she had lost. However, whether it amounts to (be equal to, be equivalent to, be tantamount to, represent) any illegality would depend on whether Mr. Siddaramaiah had anything to do with the decision. He vehemently (intensely, fiercely, forcefully, severely) denies being involved in any way and has repeatedly (frequently, again and again, invariably, constantly, regularly, consistently) said that the sites were sanctioned (approve, permit, authorize, allow) when the BJP was in power in the State. Private complainants have obtained sanction for prosecution of public servants in the past, but whether it can be given to them after the Prevention of Corruption Act was amended in 2018 has to be considered. Section 17A was introduced then as a filtering (cleaning, refining, removing, clarifying) mechanism (system, procedure, process, technique, means, method) to deter (prevent, stop, avert, block, hinder, impede, obstruct) vexatious (annoying, vexing, irritating) complaints. It bars (prohibit, ban, forbid, block, inhibit, obstruct, impede, stop) police officers from opening a probe without approval from the appropriate authority, making it reasonable to suggest that private parties cannot be given such approval. Public discourse (discussion, conversation, communication, expression) on corruption in the last few decades (a period of ten years) has hovered (remain at a level) between a hankering (strong desire/wish, longing, craving, yearning, appetite (to have something or to do something)) for punishing political leaders involved in it and deep suspicion (misgiving, doubt/qualm, scepticism) over the motives of regimes (government, administration) and agencies that seek to prosecute them. Any criminal process will have to be credible and independent (separate, unconnected, unassociated, unattached, unrelated), but contemporary (modern, present-day) events, politically tainted as they are, contain little evidence of independence (fairness, lack of bias, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity) or credibility.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.abide by (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पालन करना, मानना
English Meaning - comply with, adhere to, conform to, follow.

2.charge (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरोप, अभियोग
English Meaning - accusation, allegation, indictment.

3.credible (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विश्वसनीय, भरोसेमंद
English Meaning - acceptable, trustworthy, reliable, dependable; believable, plausible, reasonable.

4.taint (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दूषित करना, कलंकित करना
English Meaning - tarnish, corrupt, mar, damage, vitiate, stain, blemish.

5.complainant (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शिकायतकर्ता, अभियोगी
English Meaning - litigator, appellant, claimant, plaintiff.

6.prosecute (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मुकदमा चलाना
English Meaning - take to court, bring an action against, take legal action against, accuse, charge.

7.politico-legal (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - राजनीतिक-कानूनी
English Meaning - relating to political and legal systems.

8.foremost (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सबसे महत्वपूर्ण, प्रमुख
English Meaning - most importantly, first of all, above all, ultimately, basically, first and foremost.

9.constitutional (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संवैधानिक, विधिक
English Meaning - legitimate, official, legal, statutory; relating to the constitution.

10.prosecution (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभियोजन
English Meaning - legal action, legal proceeding, legal case.

11.serving (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कार्यरत, वर्तमान
English Meaning - functioning, current, existing, present, incumbent.

12.contrary (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विपरीत, विरोधाभासी
English Meaning - opposite, opposing, conflicting, contradictory, differing, clashing, inconsistent.

13.the Council of Ministers (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मंत्रिपरिषद
English Meaning - the supreme executive organ in a government. The term is usually equivalent to the word “cabinet”.

14.conflict (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संघर्ष, विवाद
English Meaning - dispute, quarrel, friction, strife, clash, disagreement, difference of opinion.

15.highlight (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रमुखता देना, उजागर करना
English Meaning - emphasize, underscore, underline, accentuate, point up, call attention to, focus attention on.

16.sanctioning authority (noun)

English Meaning - the people in charge to sanction a probe/investigation.

17.aid and advice (phrase)

English Meaning - real authority to take decisions lies in the elected government. This is the meaning of ‘aid and advice’. Titular head (Lt. Governor) has to act in accordance to aid and advice.

18.writ petition (noun)

English Meaning - an application to a court for a writ (a formal written order) when when any of the fundamental rights are violated.

19.sought past and past participle of seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

20.bound to (adjective)

English Meaning - certain/sure, very likely, guaranteed.

21.sanction (noun)

English Meaning - approval, support, acceptance.

22.precedent (noun)

English Meaning - a past action/event/decision that is seen as an example; previous example, previous instance, prior instance, previous case, example.

23.arrive at (verb)

English Meaning - reach, make, sanction, draw up, endorse (a decision).

24.bias (noun)

English Meaning - prejudice, partisanship, favouritism, unfairness, one-sidedness.

25.material (noun)

English Meaning - information, data, facts and figures, evidence, particulars, details.

26.suggest (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, point to, signal, signify, denote.

27.possibility (noun)

English Meaning - chance, likelihood, probability.

28.selective (adjective)

English Meaning - particular, picky, choosy, discriminatory.

29.pursue (verb)

English Meaning - engage in, conduct, take part in (an activity).

30.course of action (noun)

English Meaning - plan (of action), method of working, approach, procedure, technique, strategy.

31.amidst (preposition)

English Meaning - amid, in the middle of; during.

32.trial (noun)

English Meaning - court case, lawsuit, hearing, inquiry, legal proceedings, proceedings, legal action.

33.trial court (noun)

English Meaning - a court of law where cases are tried at first. (try means to investigate and decide (a case) in a formal trial).

34.defer (verb)

English Meaning - stay, suspend, shelve, put off, postpone.

35.precipitate (adjective)

English Meaning - hasty, rash, hurried, rushed; sudden, unanticipated.

36.credibility (noun)

English Meaning - trustworthiness, reliability, integrity.

37.Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) (noun)

English Meaning - In 1988, the CITB was renamed as the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) with its role as the planner of the city and developer of residential neighborhoods.

38.in the course of (phrase)

English Meaning - during a period of time; during the entire time, at the same time as, at the time, for the time being, all the while.

39.acquisition (noun)

English Meaning - obtaining, acquiring/procuring, appropriation.

40.allegation (noun)

English Meaning - accusation, charge, indictment.

41.in this regard (phrase)

English Meaning - relating to something (a point, issue, matter or topic) you have just mentioned.

42.thorough (adjective)

English Meaning - complete, total, rigorous, in-depth, detailed, extensive, intensive.

43.judicial inquiry (noun)

English Meaning - a formal (legal) investigation.

44.for now (phrase)

English Meaning - for the time being, for the present, for the moment.

45.in lieu of (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of, as an alternative for, as a replacement for, in exchange for, in place of.

46.amount to (verb)

English Meaning - be equal to, be equivalent to, be tantamount to, represent.

47.have (anything) to do with (phrase)

English Meaning - be relevant to, bear upon, have a bearing on, pertain to, relate to; to deal with; be concerned with.

48.vehemently (adverb)

English Meaning - intensely, fiercely, forcefully, severely.

49.repeatedly (adverb)

English Meaning - frequently, again and again, invariably, constantly, regularly, consistently.

50.sanction (adverb)

English Meaning - approve, permit, authorize, allow.

51.Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act), 1988 (noun)

English Meaning - An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to the prevention of corruption and for matters connected therewith.

52.Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act), 1988 (noun)

English Meaning - it states that a police officer cannot investigate any offense alleged to have been committed by a public servant without prior approval from the appropriate authority.

53.filtering (adjective)

English Meaning - cleaning, refining, removing, clarifying.

54.mechanism (noun)

English Meaning - system, procedure, process, technique, means, method.

55.deter (noun)

English Meaning - prevent, stop, avert, block, hinder, impede, obstruct.

56.vexatious (adjective)

English Meaning - annoying, vexing, irritating.

57.bar (verb)

English Meaning - prohibit, ban, forbid, block, inhibit, obstruct, impede, stop.

58.discourse (noun)

English Meaning - discussion, conversation, communication, expression.