The bandh and public protests following the arrest of senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) resulted in considerable damages to the public property to the tune of Rs 82 crores, according to the state government.

The government conveyed the same to the High Court on Monday during the hearing of a public interest litigation.

A division bench, headed by Chief Justice Abhay S Oka, was hearing a PIL filed by Ravikumar Kenchanahalli of Kanakapura.  Advocate General Prabhuling K Navadagi submitted to the court that due to the protests and bandh, observed between Sept 4 and 11, last year, damages to the public property to the tune of Rs 82 crore was incurred.

“FIRs have also been registered against 40 people,” he stated further in the submission.  

He also told the court that steps would be taken in the next three weeks to appoint a District judge or an additional District judge for fixing the accountability.