The State government has rejected the CBI’s request for sanction to prosecute 54 police personnel, including two IPS officers, who have been chargesheeted in connection with the violent incidents during a clash between police, advocates and journalists on City civil court premises on March 2, 2012.
“The State government is satisfied that the police action at City Civil Court Complex, Bengaluru, on March 2, 2012, was done in pursuance of official duty and hence the prosecution permission sought by the Superintendent of Police of CBI, Chennai, is hereby rejected. The government is convinced that the police action on that day was within the scope and range of the official duties and therefore they are entitled for protection as per the Sections 197 and 132 of CrPC,” the State government has communicated to the CBI on May 28, 2015.
The decision to reject the request for sanction for prosecution was taken at the Cabinet meeting on May 25, according to documents available with Deccan Herald.
Sources in the Home Department said it was a sensitive case and the police acted to protect the safety of people and public property.
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The government wanted to protect the interests of the police officers who took decisions based purely on the circumstances that existed then. The decision to provide sanction to prosecute would have affected the morale of the police department.
Hence, it was decided not to grant the sanction. The government felt that there was no merit in the findings of the CBI probe. The CBI had taken up a probe into the incident on the directions of the Supreme Court. Subsequently, the CBI had filed charge sheets against 54 policemen, including IPS officers B R Ravikanthe Gowda and G R Ramesh.
“With the government’s rejection sanction for prosecution, it is a closed chapter with regard to the police personnel charge sheeted. The issue ceases to exist as CBI cannot do anything without sanction for the prosecution and the police department welcomes the decision,” a senior police officer said.
However, the State government’s decision can be challenged in the Supreme Court though the apex court cannot direct the State government to grant the sanction. Hence, the police department considers it as a closed chapter, the officer said.
On March 2, 2012, former minister G Janardhan Reddy came to the City Civil Court for a hearing in a mining scam case.
A tiff between media persons and the advocates broke out on the occasion and took an ugly turn. The police resorted to lathicharge to control the crowd.