BENGALURU: Orally observing that time has come to make BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta realise what is right and what is wrong, the Karnataka High Court on Saturday directed him to file a personal affidavit explaining his conduct of disobeying the court’s order against dumping solid waste at Mittaganahalli quarry without authorisation from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board.
When Gupta appeared before the court, a division bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice SR Krishna Kumar observed that officers think that they are above law. “We will make them realise what is law,” it said.
The court asked Uday Holla, who appeared for BBMP, “Nothing can be above the court order. We will have to send him to jail if he (Gupta) cannot understand the court order. How will you defend him? Let him appear in person and see what happens.”
“We had called him (Gupta) once and told him that we will support if you perform. In spite of this, dumping of solid waste is continuing. We have been watching his conduct for quite some time. This is not the first case,” it said, noting that it is giving one more opportunity to Gupta to file his personal affidavit.
Before this, Uday Holla submitted that KSPCB granted the authorisation and consent on February 25, 2022. The court said it will decide whether mercy can be shown after Gupta files the affidavit.