Badanavalu rioting: VIP duty defers quantum of punishment

This follows a letter from City Armed Reserve (CAR) police authorities to the Central Prisons of Mysore, a copy of which was also  forwarded to the judge of Sixth Additional District and Sessions Court, L F Malavalli, where the case was heard.

Sources both in the jail and the office of CAR, confirmed that there was prior communication among them in this regard in the morning itself and the same was brought to the notice of the court too.

The reason was attributed to the tension that could aggravate proving costly for the authorities in the wake of VIPs including Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in the city, busy attending State BJP Executive Committee meeting at Rajendra Kalamandira. Also, most of the police force that was deployed on security duty. As the primary duty of the cops is to maintain law and order, we cannot take any chances, an officer on condition of anonymity told Deccan Herald.

Earlier, though the convicted were scheduled to be deposed before the Court at 11.30 am, there were apprehensions about the pronouncement of quantum of punishment itself. According to one version, it was said that the accused will be brought from Central Prisons of Mysore only after the CM’s departure, at 12.30 pm.

Rumour mills were working overtime that the relatives of the accused who had gathered in large numbers may meet CM to seek his intervention. The time came and the police van didn’t arrive.

In the meantime, the judge L F Malavalli wanted to know from the police whether the accused are being deposed or not. Even at that time, the cops after enquiring with the jail authorities had replied in positive. However, it was only after sometime, people who had been anxiously waiting for the outcome of the judgment began to mutter casting aspersions over the scheduled quantum of punishment.

While the cops had been maintaining that there are chances of announcing the punishment late in the afternoon, to avoid commotion. Finally at around 1 pm, the judge deferred his order over quantum of punishment to Thursday, thus ending the speculation.

Defence counsel C M Jagadeesh told media that due to the lack of sufficient cops to escort the accused to the court, the order was posted for November 4 at 11.30 am. Special public prosecutor, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Sudarshan was also present at the court.