BENGALURU: The trial in the high-profile case involving former CM B S Yeddyurappa went on for four years with five judges presiding over the case before the final verdict was delivered on Wednesday.
Although there is general rule that a judge serves for three years as presiding officer of a court, there are instances when they are transferred on promotion. This is especially in CBI courts.
Special court judge R B Dharmagoudar, who gave the clean chit to Yeddyurappa and his kin on Wednesday, started presiding over the case during the stage of final arguments.
Lawyers who are in the know of the functioning of CBI courts say this is not unusual. Unlike in regular courts, judges change in CBI courts because of promotions. That, however, will not impact the continuity of the case.
Dharmagoudar’s predecessors — judges Munavalli and Bheemanagouda Naik — presided over the case till the stage of evidence from 2014. Prior to that, two other judges presided, sources said.
Dharmagoudar’s predecessor, on September 8, 2015, had rejected the discharge applications of all 13 accused stating that there were grounds for presuming that the accused have committed the alleged offences and framed the charge against them. The case was posted for prosecution evidence. CBI registered a case on May 11, 2012. In the last four years, the prosecution examined 125 witnesses and presented 608 documents as evidence.
Referring to this, a senior advocate suggested that the higher judiciary and the state government should take a firm stand and not change judges frequently.
Senior counsel M T Nanaiah said that the judge who records the evidence should not be transferred till the final verdict.