HC rejects Sampangi's plea to change judge

Justice B V Pinto, who heard the matter, set aside the petition with an observation that the apprehension of the petitioner that he would not get justice was baseless and that the petitioner had no grounds in seeking transfer of the case from the present judge.

Sampangi contended the cancellation of his bail by the Special Lokayukta Court on the ground that a bail granted could not be cancelled even for a limited period.

Justice Pinto said that the application seeking cancellation of bail was pending since February 18, 2011. Citing an Apex Court ruling, Justice Pinto observed: “The cancellation of bail application was not considered till October 28, 2011 when the witness (complainant) said he was forced not to depose and was threatened to withdraw the case. The presiding officer cancelled the bail only for temporary period, until the statement of the witness was recorded.”

On the affidavit filed before the Court by two individuals - B M Ramachandra, a farmer and DSS worker, and A L Amarendra Mouni, a PWD contractor - who have stated that N K Badrinath, brother of Judge Sudhindra Rao, had been claiming he played a crucial role in cancellation of Sampangi’s bail, the court said that there was neither a single witness nor any documents mentioning that the duo had interacted with Badrinath on October 29, 2011.