Survey aims to rehabilitate destitute kids: Karnataka HC

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday said that the object for collection of data of children, who are forced to sell toys and other goods on streets and traffic signals in the city, is to rehabilitate them and protect their rights under the Right to Education Act, and not to penalise anybody. 

A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum passed the order after hearing all stakeholders — the traffic police, BBMP and NGOs — on their roles in collection of data through survey, in response to public interest litigation filed by city-based Letzkit Foundation seeking directions for rehabilitation of such children.  

During the hearing, senior officials of the police department submitted that the traffic police should be part of data collection teams in all the eight zones under the BBMP and members of the Special Juvenile Police Unit accompany the teams. 

Dr Seshadri of Samvad, an NGO, submitted that a workshop will be conducted for those who are involved in the survey. The BBMP Commissioner said that they will constantly coordinate with the teams and provide the required number of vehicles, food and accommodation to them, besides establishing temporary shelters for children if the authorities secure them. 

HC quashes FIR against firm for setting up cryptocurrency ATM 
The Karnataka High Court has quashed an FIR and subsequent proceedings initiated against co-founders of Unocoin Technologies for setting up an ATM kiosk in the city to trade in cryptocurrency.  Allowing the petition filed by B V Harish and Sathvik Vishwanath, Justice H P Sandesh quashed the FIR and chargesheet filed against them by the Cyber Crime Police, citing the judgment of the Supreme Court, which on April 6, 2018, quashed the circular issued by the Reserve Bank of India prohibiting virtual currencies.  The Cyber Crime Police registered the FIR against Harish and Vishwanath on October 23, 2018, and filed the chargesheet on May 3, 2019. The First ACMM court took cognisance of the offence.