The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has filed a plea in the Supreme Court, seeking to quash an FIR lodged against him and other Congress leaders. This action follows an incident where they allegedly blocked a road during a protest in 2022.
The special leave petition challenges the Karnataka High Court’s decision, which dismissed CM Siddaramaiah and others’ plea to quash the trial proceedings in the Special Court. The High Court, led by Justice Krishna S. Dixit, had imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on each petitioner and ordered CM Siddaramaiah to appear before the Special Court for MPs/MLAs on February 26. Additionally, other Congress leaders, including AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala, Minister for Large and Medium M.B. Patil, and Minister for Transport Ramalinga Reddy, were asked to be present on various dates in March.
The High Court criticized the Congress leaders, stating that blocking the road under the guise of being people’s representatives is unacceptable. The FIR in question was registered at Bengaluru’s High Grounds police station on April 14, 2022.
The Congress party had organized the protest in question over the suicide case of a contractor, Santhosh Patil, and demanded the resignation of then Minister K.S. Eshwarappa. The protest led to severe traffic disruption on the busy Race Course Road, causing considerable inconvenience to the public.
The police charged the leaders with blocking roads, causing traffic jams, and affecting the law and order system. CM Siddaramaiah and other implicated leaders had earlier approached the High Court seeking to quash the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued by the Special Court and the proceedings against them in the trial court.