The High Court of Karnataka on Friday directed the State government to submit details about action taken against those who damaged public and private properties in Ramanagaram district during an agitation bandh against the arrest of former Minister D.K. Shivakumar in a money laundering case early this month.
Protest against DKS arrest
The court directed the government to state action taken to identify the offenders, the criminal law set into motion etc., and action taken on a representation, given to the Home Secretary, by petitioner Ravikumar Kanchanahalli, who had named certain individuals for agitation/bandh.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar issued the directions while hearing two PIL petitions related to the Karnataka bandh calls given by various organisations in January-April 2018, and a new petition filed seeking action against those who paralysed public life and damaged properties in Ramanagaram district.
Meanwhile, the court sought to know why the government had not complied with a series of directions given by the Centre, including filing reports before the court for initiation of suo motu cases in cases of loss and damages caused during agitations/bandh in May 2013, and another letter of March 2018 for appointing one or more district/additional district judges to assess damages during such instances etc.
Issue of notice
While permitting a petitioner to make several political parties and private social organisations as parties to the proceedings, the court ordered issue of notices to them returnable by October 31.
