BANGALORE: Although the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the special leave petitions (SLPs) by the State and former Legislative Assembly Speaker and Congress leader Ramesh Kumar against a High Court order directing further investigation and filing of a supplementary charge sheet in a case of murder allegedly involving him, the Government had already issued directions to its advocate to withdraw the SLP filed by it.

The Government Order in this regard, which was issued on March 18, authorised Sanjay Hegde, representative of the State in the Supreme Court, to withdraw the SLP in the criminal petition between the State and T.B. Ramakrishna Reddy.

The SLPs had been filed against a High Court order directing the police to continue the investigation of the murder of N.C. Shamshankar Reddy in Kolar district on March 31, 2003 and file a supplementary charge sheet against Mr. Kumar.

On December 21, 2004, the then coalition government, of the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), issued orders to Mr. Hedge directing him to file the SLP. However, the new State Public Prosecutor, S. Dore Raju, felt the matter should be left to the investigating agency. In his letter to the Principal Secretary of the Home Department on March 16, 2006, he said the SLP ought not to have been preferred favouring an accused who is allegedly involved in a murder investigated by the Corps of Detectives (CoD).

He suggested to the Government to withdraw the SLP. The Government, which examined the issue, decided to go by Mr. Dore Raju's suggestion and asked Mr. Hegde to withdraw the SLP.

However, before the letter preferring withdrawal of the SLP was placed before the Supreme Court, the SLPs were dismissed.

In an order dated December 14, 2004, a single judge directed the CoD to file a supplementary charge sheet against Mr. Kumar, his brother Krishnamurthy and two others for their alleged involvement in the murder of Shamshankar and Kadirappa near Thummalavaripalli forest in Gownhalli police station limits in Srinivasapura taluk, Kolar. The order was passed on a petition by Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy, of Srinivasapura in Kolar district.

The petitioner had urged the court to direct the CoD, which had investigated the murder, to file a supplementary charge sheet and investigation report on the case. The petitioner alleged Mr. Kumar and others eliminated Shamshankar because of political rivalry.

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