JOIN US A division bench comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice H G Ramesh on Monday recused from hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to check environmental damage at Belekeri port in Uttara Kannada district.
One of the petitioners in the PIL had written to the Chief Justice of India seeking to transfer the matter to the Supreme Court.
Dr Sayyed Murtaza Muazzamsha, a native of Belekeri and a co-petitioner in the PIL filed by Uttara Kannada Consumers’ and Citizen Welfare Association, had sought transfer of the case to the apex court. The HC bench had mentioned about it during the previous hearing and directed Dr Muazzamsha to appear in person. However, he filed an affidavit on July 7 stating that he was unable to appear before the court due to his old age, poor health and Ramzan fasting. During the hearing on Monday, the division bench set-aside its earlier orders in the matter and recused from hearing the petition saying that it should be heard by some other bench.
Previously, the bench had directed amicus curiae Hareesh Bhandary to submit a list of experts to form a committee for assessing the environmental damage caused at the port due to illegal dumping of iron ore. Bhandary had suggested the job could be entrusted to National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).