Karnataka High Court Stays Proceedings Against Minister Priyank Kharge Booked For Participating In 2002 Protest March Against KS Eshwarappa
Mustafa Plumber
22 Aug 2024 11:02 AM GMT
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday stayed all proceedings pending before the Special Court against State Minister of Electronics and IT/BT, Priyank Kharge in a case registered against him over a protest march held in 2002 of which he was part, demanding the resignation of then Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa.
A single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna by way of interim order stayed all the proceedings. It said “The co-accused in the case were before this court seeking quashing of the which came to be dismissed. However, this dismissal was tossed aside and directions passed in the order were stayed by the Apex court. The petitioner is co-accused along with those accused in the light of the interim order granted by the Apex court there shall be an interim order of stay of all proceedings before the concerned court qua the petitioner.”
The court took note of the Apex court order dated February 19 by which the court had stayed the proceedings in the criminal case against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, State Ministers Ramalinga Reddy & MB Patil, and All-India Congress Committee (AICC) leader Randeep Singh Surjewala over the same protest.
The prosecution case was that on April 14, 2022, a group of 35-40 members under the leadership of Randeep Surjewala (Rajya Sabha MP), DK Shivakumar (Deputy CM, Karnataka) and Siddaramaiah and Kharge had entered the public road towards the residence of then CM, shouting slogans and demanding the resignation of KS Eshwarappa.
They were booked for unlawful assembly under Section 143 IPC and Section 103 of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963. Allegedly, the protest was led despite a High Court order being in operation against conducting of marches in Bengaluru, other than at Freedom Park.
Case Title: Priyank Kharge AND State of Karnataka
Case No: Criminal Petition No 8491/2024.
Appearance: Senior Advocate Sandesh S Chouta for Petitioner.
