The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : High Court notice to Home Secretary

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Saturday, Dec 01, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

High Court notice to Home Secretary

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Friday took serious exception to the failure of Home Secretary Vatsala Watsa to file a report and ordered issue of show-cause notice asking her why action should not be taken against her for disobeying court orders.

Criticising the conduct of the official, Justice Jawed Rahim said the official had not cared to file a report despite several orders.

He said he had first asked for a report from the police when a case relating to the unauthorised occupation of a residential building in Cottonpet by the Bangalore city police had come up before him in March 2007.

The owner of a building in Cottonpet had challenged the “forced takeover” of his building by the City Crime Branch (CCB), Bangalore. The petitioner claimed that although the CCB had an office and establishment nearby, it had forcibly occupied his house. The petitioner said he had let out the premises to nine tenants.

The son of one of his tenants, Chinnaswamy, was killed in an encounter. After the encounter, the then Inspector of Cottonpet police along with other officials evicted other tenants and occupied the premises, saying they needed it as a police outpost.

When the matter came up on Friday, the additional Government advocate said a report by the police had been received but that it could not be filed. He sought permission from the court to file the report. Justice Jawad Rahim perused the report and remarked that although he had specifically directed the Home Secretary to file the report, it had been done by an under-secretary.

Moreover, the statement on the report and an earlier affidavit filed by then Sub-Inspector are contradictory.

The court adjourned hearing on the case to December 7.

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