Court ruckus: HC seeks status report from Home Dept

Directs to keep away the indicted cops from investigation

The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday directed the State Home Department to file a status report on the March 2 violence at the City Civil Courts complex on April 2.

The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna, during the hearing of a petition filed by the Advocates Association, Bangalore (AAB), directed the government to conduct a thorough investigation into the episode without involving the police officers indicted for assaulting advocates. 

“The three DCPs  Ramesh, Ravikanthe Gowda and Siddaramappa and three ACPs of Vijayanagar, Devanahalli and Banashankari must not participate in the investigation. Those investigating into the matter must not reveal even minute details pertaining to the investigation to them and in case the State finds their involvement in the case, they must be placed under suspension,” the Bench said.

The Court also directed the respondents to file copies of video recordings referred to in the R K Dutta report. It asked the government to submit the video footage recorded by advocates on the day of the incident.

The counsel for the AAB submitted that the petitioner had no confidence in the police since most of the cases were against the cops. He demanded a probe by an independent agency. 

He said the court premises was cleaned the next day of the incident, though the scene of crime should have remained undisturbed.

When the Bench questioned the government how it cleaned the premises without conducting a mahazar, the Advocate General replied that the mahazar was conducted in the evening. 

The AG, to a question, replied that there were no blood stains on the premises and the registrar of the City Civil Courts complex was not present during the mahazar.

The Bench adjourned the matter with a direction not to post the six senior police officers even in the limits where 173 cases pertaining to the incident have been registered.