HC acquits Bangarappa in Classik case

During 1991-92, then chief minister S Bangarappa and additional chief secretary J Alexander had approved purchase of Apple Macintosh computers from Classik Computer System, a Chennai-based firm. The Government had entered into an agreement with the firm on March 31,1992 for the supply of about a hundred computers, each at Rs 5.27 lakh. CBI took up the investigation following allegation of irregularities. A special court acquitted the accused following which the CBI had filed an appeal in the High Court. The CBI had contended that the Government paid Rs 1,581 crore in advance to Classik Computers and a large sum had been misappropriated.

Justice V Jagannathan, while dismissing the appeal, noted: “This court cannot interfere with the trial court order unless the judgment suffers from defect of pervertive finding or the view taken is unreasonable.”  The Court upheld the trial court judgment of September 19, 2003 which exonerated Bangarappa, former additional chief secretary J Alexander, V Gokul Krishna, proprietor of Classik Computer Systems and others.

Status quo ordered

The High Court has ordered status quo on installation of the world’s tallest monolith Buddha statue at Handi Gandi reserve in Handi Gandi reserve forest near Ramanagara.

The Sangamitra Foundation had proposed to erect the statue on the hill at Ramanagara facing Bangalore-Mysore highway. The Forest department had issued a notification favouring the proposal which was withdrawn following public outcry. The Foundation moved the High Court which directed the Government to handover the forest land. The Government went in appeal.