Published Feb 15, 2024 | 8:57 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 15, 2024 | 8:57 AM
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. (Siddaramaiah.Official/Facebook)
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has moved the Supreme Court against a Karnataka High Court order that has dismissed his plea to quash an FIR lodged against him and others in 2022 concerning a protest march.
The Congress leader challenged the high court’s 6 February order that imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on him as well as Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, state ministers MB Patil and Ramalinga Reddy, and directed him to appear before a special court on 6 March.
The case was registered against the Congress leaders after they took out a march to lay siege to the then chief minister Basavaraj Bommai’s residence in Bengaluru, demanding the resignation of KS Eshwarappa, who was the rural development and panchayat raj minister in the southern state at the time.
The agitation was staged after a contractor, Santosh Patil, died by suicide accusing Eshwarappa of demanding 40 percent commission on a public work in his village.
According to police, the case pertained to blocking roads and causing trouble to commuters.
Stating that none of the “quintessential” ingredients of the offences alleged was made out, Siddaramaiah has said in his plea that the proceedings are an abuse of the process of law and would lead to undue harassment.
“The incident complained lasted for almost an hour and no violent action or use of criminal force has been alleged against any of the members of the procession, it is thus submitted that the prosecution cannot be allowed to continue on such frivolous incidents where no allegation of criminality has been attributed to any of the members of the assembly,” the plea says.
In his plea before the top court, Siddaramaiah said there was no allegation that the protest led to any violence or use of criminal force to pose an imminent threat to the public at large or to anyone, including the minister.
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