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High Court refuses to stay suspension of BBMP engineers

Last Updated 11 August 2016, 20:08 IST

The High Court on Thursday refused to stay proceedings against four engineers who were among the 20 suspended for granting permission for building houses on stormwater drains.  The houses are now being demolished in the massive drive taken up by the BBMP.

Justice Anand Byrareddy refused to grant stay after Advocate General Madhusudhan R Naik submitted to the court that the engineers were suspended to prevent the threat of evidence being tampered. The AG said that necessary action against these engineers has already been initiated. The judge directed the state government to file its objections and adjourned the next hearing to August 16.

The petitioners, four engineers of BBMP, M L Munikrishna - retired chief engineer; P Gangappa - assistant director of Town Planning, Mahadevapura zone; Sunitha H - assistant engineer in the office of the assistant director of Town Planning, Mahadevapura and M Liakath - assistant director of Town Planning, Dasarahalli, have approached the High Court seeking stay and quashing of the government order which had suspended them on August 9.

Master plan

The petitioners have contended that village maps ceased to exist once the comprehensive master plan came into force.

They have said that Section 477 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976 says that if the complaint is lodged beyond a period of six months from the date of commission of the offence, the person will not be liable to be tried. The petitioners have said that BMTF does not have the jurisdiction to register the case and investigate it.

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(Published 11 August 2016, 20:08 IST)

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