BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Friday appointed Justice HS Kempanna, former judge of the High Court, as the Claims Commissioner to assess the damage done to public and private properties by rioters, investigate liability and award compensation to victims in connection with the violence that occurred on August 11 in DJ Halli and KG Halli police station limits in the city.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Ashok S Kinagi passed the order appointing Justice Kempanna as the Claims Commissioner.
This was after hearing the petition filed by the state government seeking to initiate suo motu proceedings and appoint the Claims Commissioner in terms of the order passed by the Supreme Court in 2009 in relation to destruction of public and private properties in violence over a derogatory post on social media.
The bench directed the state to issue a notification appointing the former judge as Claims Commissioner within a week immediately after this order is uploaded on the website and provide required infrastructure and staff to him.
In relation to a public interest litigation filed seeking directions to transfer the investigation to NIA from the state police, the bench ordered the state government to file objections.