BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday asked the state government to justify the withdrawal of 570 criminal cases against ministers, MLAs/MLCs and their followers, from 2014 to May 2020. A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice S Vishwajith Shetty was hearing public interest litigation filed by advocate Sudha Katwa.
]The petitioner contended that the prosecution department has to take a decision independently on such issues but the state governments are recommending to withdraw the criminal cases against ministers, MLAs and their supporters. The power under Section 321 of CrPC is being misused by the government all these years, she alleged. The bench ordered notice to the government and asked to file objections. The next hearing will be held on December 10.