The Hindu : Karnataka News : Uma Bharti case: hearing to continue on June 23

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 11, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Uma Bharti case: hearing to continue on June 23

Staff Correspondent

HUBLI: The Additional District Sessions Judge, Durgappa, on Friday postponed to June 23 the hearing of the revision petition filed by the Komu Souharda Vedike questioning the Judicial Magistrate First Class court's decision to allow withdrawal of cases against Uma Bharti, former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, and 21 others in connection with the riots during the Idgah Maidan flag hoisting incident.

Long arguments

B.T. Venkatesh, counsel for Komu Souharda Vedike, presented his arguments before the court for more than an hour.

Although the Hubli courts remained closed on Friday to mourn the death of Shobha Haravi, member of the Hubli Bar Council, the judge allowed the petitioners to present their arguments in the afternoon amidst opposition from the lawyers of the respondents.

`No application of mind'

When the hearing began at 3 p.m., Mr. Venkatesh said the Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) had not applied his mind while submitting his comments to the court.

He argued that the APP has neither acted according to the directions of the High Court nor made an assessment of the situation. There is no consistency in the stand taken by APP, he said.

Plea to reject application

He said the application filed by the APP should have been rejected. As he could not conclude his argument before the court closed, he requested the judge to give him a date to continue his argument.

Doreraju, counsel for Ms. Bharti, and Gauri Lankesh, one of the petitioners, were present.

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