Will form dist police complaints authorities: Govt to HC

The State government on Friday told the High Court that it would issue a notification on district police complaints authorities by mid-October. 

The government filed an affidavit in a petition filed by Adarsh G K, general secretary, Human Rights Defenders Forum. It stated its resolve to take all steps to form district police complaints authorities by December 2014. 

G R Mohan, counsel for the petitioner, argued that as per a 2006 order of the Supreme Court, states are supposed to set up district-wise committees to help citizens lodge complaints with the authority.

“The apex court had ordered the appointment of a retired SC judge or a High Court judge as chairperson of the authority at the state level and a retired sessions court judge at the district level,” he said. 

Lawyers stay off courts 

The call given by the Advocates Association, Bangalore (AAB) to boycott court proceedings on Friday received good response as a number of advocates stayed away from courts. 

Court corridors wore a dull look with few advocates appearing before judges while some court halls had just one or two lawyers.

In a press statement, AAB president K N Subba Reddy and general secretary A P Ranganath described the boycott as “successful” and thanked the legal fraternity, including those in the High Court benches at Dharwad and Gulbarga, for their support.

 The boycott call was given to protest the allegations that senior judge of the Karnataka High Court Justice, K L Manjunath, had amassed illegal wealth and Chief Justice of India designate Justice HL Dattu sexually harassed a former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer. 

The AAB had adopted a resolution in this regard on Thursday. It condemned the “increasing attacks” against judges from Karnataka living out the State and claimed they were aimed at “tarnishing” the image of upright judges who could not defend themselves publicly.