BENGALURU: The High Court of Karnataka has permitted Minister for Planning and Statistics B Nagendra to travel only within the country and not beyond it. The permission of the court has to be taken if he wants to travel beyond the shores of the nation, the court added.
Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the order on Thursday while allowing the petition filed by Nagendra challenging a condition imposed by the special court for the trial of criminal cases against sitting and former MPs/MLAs while granting him bail on October 14, 2024, in connection with the case registered by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) under Section 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, in connection with the alleged multi-crore scam in Karnataka Maharishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited, when he was the Minister for Scheduled Tribe Welfare in the Siddaramaiah cabinet.
Senior advocate KN Phanindra contended on behalf of Nagendra that he is now inducted into the cabinet of ministers in the Government of Karnataka. Due to Nagendra’s induction as a minister, in the discharge of his official duties, it would be necessary for him to go beyond the state, Phanindra argued. Therefore, there is a necessity of relaxing one of the conditions imposed by the special court that Nagendra shall not leave the state without obtaining written permission from the court, he argued.
The Additional Solicitor General of India Aravind Kamath contended that the petitioner has to approach the special court for the modification of the bail conditions and not the High court directly.
However, Nagendra’s counsel argued that approaching every time the special court for relaxation is time consuming.
Meanwhile, Kamath submitted that the petitioner has to cooperate with the probe for which Nagendra’s counsel submitted that he is continuously supporting it.
OPPOSITION PROTESTS ENTER FOURTH DAY IN COUNCIL
Protests by Opposition members in the Karnataka Legislative Council continued for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday, with members demanding the resignation of Minister B Nagendra over the alleged Valmiki Corporation scam. Opposition members, wearing black shawls and raising slogans against the government, disrupted proceedings, with their slogans turning into chorus songs.
Council Chairman Saleem Ahmed appealed to them not to disrupt the proceedings, pointing out that considerable work goes into framing questions and that members should not be deprived of an opportunity to raise issues and receive answers.
He urged the Opposition to give a notice and allow a debate on the Valmiki Corporation issue, assuring them that it would be taken up in accordance with the rules. Later in the day, Leader of Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy referred to videos circulating on social media in which the Chairman was heard saying that certain statements by Opposition members should not go on record and that the media should not report them.
“Then why do you want them (media) here, send them away,” he said. Responding, Ahmed said members were making statements that could not be allowed on record and that he had informed the media accordingly. He said he was acting within the rules and would provide the relevant provisions to the Opposition.
