Bidari case: HC asks State to file affidavits

The High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to furnish the affidavits of Nagi and Erammal, the victims of the alleged atrocities by the Special Task Force (STF) which had been constituted to nab forest brigand Veerappan. 

The duo have made direct allegations against former DG&IGP Shankar Bidari, who headed the STF.

Hearing a petition by the government and Bidari, seeking that the appointment of Bidari as DG&IGP be upheld, the division bench comprising Justice N Kumar and Justice H S Kempanna directed the State to furnish the Justice A J Sadashiva report as well as the affidavits of the two women.

When the advocate general, Vijay Shankar, submitted that the reports are with the Supreme Court and need to be obtained from there, the bench said that since it has heard the matter through the affidavits and considering the urgency of the matter as per the Apex Court orders, there should not be any unnecessary arguments and directed that whatever records are available should be placed before the bench for hearing.

 Counsel for A R Infant, Udaya Holla, too sought time and the bench adjourned the matter.

The Central Administrative Tribunal had set aside Bidari’s appointment, an order which was upheld by the High Court. However, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order, asking it to examine the matter afresh and dispose it of before May 31. 

Hearing adjourned

The High Court has adjourned the hearing of a petition by former minister and JD(S) leader H D Revanna seeking that the FIR against him in connection with his role in the alleged denotification of land be quashed.

 The Lokayukta police, on May 4, 2012, had registered an FIR against former chief minister Dharam Singh of the Congress and Revanna based on a private complaint pertaining to illegal denotification of land. The private complaint, filed by Ravi Kumar - a resident of Turuvekere in Tumkur - had been referred by the Special Lokayukta Court to the police for further investigation on April 16.

According to his complaint, Singh was responsible for illegal denotification of land, which was sold to Kavitha Balakrishna Gowda, the sister-in-law of Revanna. Kavitha is also an accused in the complaint.

The case pertains to the 10 acres and 17 guntas of land in Survey Nos. 22, 24/1 and 24/2 at Hosahalli in Uttarahalli hobli of Bangalore South taluk, which was notified by the Bangalore Development Authority for the construction of the Bangalore-Kanakapura main road and for the expansion of Banashankari 6th stage.