High Court stays case before land grabbing court

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday stayed the suo motu proceedings initiated by the Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Special Court with regard to land in Anekal taluk in Bengaluru Rural district.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice P S Dinesh Kumar stayed the special court proceedings and issued notice to the Principal Secretary, Revenue Department and tahsildar, Anekal taluk.

Petitioner S Anneyappa contended that the matter with regard to him being accused of encroaching government land was already resolved by the deputy commissioner. The charges against him were dropped after records found that the land was granted to the petitioner.
The petitioner challenged the Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act, 2011 itself contending that the rules of the Act were implemented in 2014 and the special court cannot take action retrospectively.

HC convicts 3 of Dandupalya gang

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday sentenced three members of the Dandupalya gang accused of murdering a woman in Mysuru in November 2000.

A division bench comprising Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice John Michael Cunha sentenced Dodda Hanuma, Venkatesh and Nalla Thimma to 10 years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000. The bench acquitted Munikrishna, an accused in the case. The gang members were accused of theft and murder of Sushilamma (68) in Mysuru. The accused were sentenced to death by the trial court and later confirmed by the high court.

The division bench has convicted three of the four accused. There are four more cases against the gang members before the bench. The gang members have already served 17 years in prison.