BENGALURU: The alleged delay in filing private complaints against those indulging in illegal stone quarrying in Davanagere district has taken a significant turn with the shifting of Public Prosecutor (PP) B Manjunatha from the Principal District and Sessions Court to the First Additional District and Sessions Court, Davanagere.
Deputy Director of the Department of Prosecution and Government Litigations (Administration), Anjana Chavan, who is also Director (In-charge), passed the order shifting Manjunatha on February 10.
This was followed by the letters written by the Senior Geologist of Davanagere and Law Officer (Senior), Davanagere Zone, to the Deputy Director of Prosecution.
The Senior Geologist swung into action for booking mining lease holders for violating license conditions and beyond the leased area, by taking steps to register private complaints against them, besides levying a penalty, following the suomoto complaints registered by the Upa Lokayukta Justice B Veerappa after he made surprise visits to several mining sites in Davanagere recently and blew the whistle against illegal mining.
KS Sathish, who is the Public Prosecutor in the First Additional District and Sessions Court in Davanagere, has been shifted to Davanagere to take Manjunatha’s place.
The shifting order stated that the Senior Geologist has submitted the private complaints to Manjunatha for registering before the court against the stone quarry contractors concerning the Kurki and Hirethogaleri villages of Davanagere taluk.
Though she submitted private complaints several times, Manjunatha returned, saying that there are lacunae in them. Responding to it, the Senior Geologist rectified those lacunae and submitted those complaints again to Manjunatha with a request register before the court. However, he did not cooperate.
The order said Manjunatha allegedly showed irrational behaviour, was abusive and “acted like the lawyers of the accused” in the court.