Karnataka HC stays proceedings in case against CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru(PTI): The High Court of Karnataka has granted an interim stay on the proceedings in a case registered against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for holding a protest march here seeking the resignation of BJP leader K S Eshwarappa from the cabinet in 2022. Siddaramaiah, who was the then leader of opposition, had led the march from Congress Bhavan to the residence of then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
The criminal petition filed by Siddaramaiah seeking quashing of the case was heard by the special bench constituted to hear petitions by sitting and former MLAs and ministers.
Justice M Nagaprasanna heard the petition at the High Court bench in Dharwad today.
After listening to the arguments of the counsel for the petitioner, the bench stayed the proceedings in the case till the next date of hearing on September 15.
Alleging that Eshwarappa was responsible for the suicide of contractor Santosh Patil and demanding his resignation, the Congress party led by Siddaramaiah had held a protest on April 14, 2022.
An FIR was registered in this regard at the High Grounds Police Station here, against the protestors for obstructing traffic and disturbing law and order.
The police who conducted the investigation submitted the charge sheet on February 12, 2023 in which Siddaramaiah is the main accused. The case is pending before the 42nd ACMM (Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate) court.
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Stripped to identify religion, ears cut off: Muslim hawker from Bihar dies a week after lynching
Police deny religious angle in the case
Patna: Mohammed Athar Hussain, a 55-year-old Muslim cloth vendor, tragically died on Friday, a week after sustaining severe injuries in a horrific lynching, reported The Print.
Hussain, who made his living by selling clothes on a bicycle in the rural areas of Nawada for the last decade, is survived by his wife, Shabnam Parveen, and three children.
Before his death at a government hospital, Hussain recorded a video statement.
In the video, which is doing rounds on social media platforms, Hussain alleged that four men initially locked him in a room. They later returned late at night and, stripped him to find out his religion, identifying him as a "miyan ji" (a Muslim). He claimed the assailants then poured petrol on him, branded him with a hot iron rod, and used pliers to cut off his ear.
Furthermore, he stated, "The assault continued as some were beating with sticks, while others were using pliers to cut off my fingers and ear."
Speaking to The Print, his brother, Mohammed Shaqib, described the shock of seeing his elder brother's picture injured, telling that the family had been dealt a blow from which it would never recover.
No mention of lynching in FIR
Meanwhile, quoting Nawada Sadar SDPO Hulas Kumar, The Print reported that while the victim made serious allegations, his wife did not document the specific claim that her husband was stripped to determine his religion in her initial police complaint, dated December 6.
Furthermore, a senior police official in Patna denied this was a religious lynching, instead terming it a case of "mistaken identity" where the deceased was assaulted under suspicion of theft.
Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar confirmed that both the murder case against the assailants and a separate theft complaint, filed by one of the accused against Hussain, are being probed to reach a logical conclusion.
The DGP told The Print that while the theft case is being investigated, the focus is clearly more on the lynching case.
Following Hussain's death, Nawada Police upgraded the charges, adding Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with the offense of murder.
According to reports, police have successfully arrested nine people in connection with the assault, including four individuals specifically named in the FIR filed by Hussain’s wife.
One of the nine accused, Sikandar Yadav, is the same man who accused Hussain of theft, claiming that this accusation led to the assault.
The statements given by arrested suspects, including Sree Yadav and Ranjan Kumar, reportedly led police to the remaining five accused.
Further probe in this regard is underway.
