Karnataka High Court notice to MLA, BBMP officials for ‘disobedience’

BENGALURU: THE Karnataka High Court on Thursday issued notice to MLA R V Devaraj for recommending to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to temporarily allot open spaces on the ground floor of the New Kalasipalyam Market, contrary to two of its earlier decisions.  
Besides passing the order to initiate separate contempt proceedings, Justice Vineet Kothari also issued notice to assistant revenue officer Venkatesh (South-Market), BBMP, and members of the standing committee, who signed the resolution recommending the allotment, M Gayathri, D G Thejaswini Seetharamaiah, Nalini M Manju, Prathibha Dhanraj, B M Shobha Muniram, Saraswathamma, K Nagabhushan, Chandrappa and R Padmavathi Amarnath.

The notice asks them to explain why they should not be punished for contempt of court by involving, recommending or making allotment of the open spaces in the market.The notices were issued after the court heard petition filed by one Raviprakash and others.

“This case raises a serious question of blatant breach of directions of this court in earlier judgments and violation of the order passed by the state government itself, by allotment of open spaces in the municipal market. This temporary allotment appears to have been done on the recommendation of local MLA R V Devaraj,” the court said.  

A copy of the MLA’s letter dated January 4, 2017, was submitted by the petitioners before the court.
The court further said such repetitive efforts on the part of private allottees and a liberal helping hand given by the authorities of the BBMP contrary to the directions of this court, the categorical stand of the state government and BBMP itself, is nothing short of contempt of court by the respondents.
The BBMP has made temporary allotments to private persons such as Rajendra, Sridhar, Shanthi and Vedi.
The matter was adjourned to February 28, 2018, for further hearing.