Petitioner told to pay Rs. 3,000 cost to BMRCL

The Karnataka High Court has imposed a cost of Rs. 3,000 on a petitioner for “trying to peddle his private cause in a service matter in the form of a public interest litigation (PIL) petition” against Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL).

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D.H. Waghela and Justice B.V. Nagarathna passed the order while dismissing the PIL petition filed by Bajantri Madappa, an advocate and a social activist.

The petitioner had questioned notifications, issued in January and May for recruitment to some posts of executives, alleging that the BMRCL either misunderstood or did not follow the rules pertaining to reservation of the posts.

‘He was candidate’

However, BMRCL had pointed out to the court that “the petitioner himself was a candidate for service and upon he being not selected or appointed; he had already moved the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Commission with his grievance.”

The BMRCL had also questioned Mr. Madappa’s right to question the recruitment process in the guise of a PIL when he was an unsuccessful candidate.

As petitioner admitted the claim of the BMRCL that he was a candidate and had later approached the Commission, the Bench observed that “apparently this [conduct of petitioner] amounts to abuse of process of court” particularly when the petitioner had not revealed details of his candidature for the recruitment in his petition.

The Bench has directed Mr. Madappa to pay the cost of Rs. 3,000 to the Managing Director of the BMRCL within 15 days.

BMTF case

The High Court on Tuesday disposed of a PIL petition after the State government clarified that the powers of the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) were not withdrawn. It was complained in the petition that the government in a notification issued in February had withdrawn several powers of the BMTF.

Mayor’s post

Justice L. Narayanaswamy of the High Court on Tuesday reserved the order the petitions pertaining to the reservation of the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahangara Palike.