Legal experts being consulted on filing appeal against court orders, says CM's advisor AS Ponnanna
Bengaluru, Sep 26: Consultations are on with senior counsel and experts on filing an appeal in the wake of court orders upholding Governor's sanction for investigation against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case and ordering of a Lokayukta police probe against him, a key legal advisor said on Thursday.
A Special Court here on Wednesday ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case, setting the stage for registering an FIR against him.
The order of the Special Court Judge, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after a single judge bench of the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife B M Parvathi by MUDA.
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"We have been saying since the beginning, let there be any inquiry or investigation, we have no objection to it. But, certain lapses that have happened legally, it needs to be rectified, it is our duty,", Congress MLA, senior advocate and the CM's legal advisor A S Ponnanna told reporters here.
"So, appeal has to be filed, where and when, and what action should be taken regarding MP/MLA (Special) Court , all these things we are verifying," Ponnanna said, when asked about the possibility of appealing to the divisional bench of the High Court or to the Supreme Court.
"Discussions are on with advocates and senior counsel. Our advocate in Delhi, who argued in the case (Abhishek Manu Singhvi), we will try to seek his advice, and thereafter in a couple of days, we will make our stand clear," he said.
Referring to the High Court verdict, Ponnanna said: "Our argument was that there was no application of mind on part of the Governor. This legal principle called application of mind is not only restricted to the Governor, but it is also applicable to the Court."
The Special Court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to former and elected MPs/MLAs on Wednesday issued the order directing the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to initiate an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.
Ponnanna termed the case against the CM as "entirely politically motivated." "Let there be any investigation or inquiry, truth cannot be hidden."
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Rupee rises 10 paise to 92.41/USD; faces risks from rising global tensions
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee appreciated 10 paise to 92.41 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, even as the USD/INR pair faces risks from rising global tensions, especially the US-Iran conflict.
Forex traders said the rupee is likely to see high volatility intra-day as the deadline for RBI's instructions to banks to curb their overnight positions to USD 100 million closes today.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 92.58 against the US dollar, then gained ground to touch 92.41 against the US dollar in initial trade, registering a gain of 10 paise over its previous close.
On Thursday, the rupee settled with a marginal gain of 3 paise at 92.51 against the US dollar.
"An estimated 80–85 per cent of these positions have already been unwound, which means the bulk of this supportive flow is now behind us. In simple terms, the cushion that held the rupee steady is beginning to thin, and this is where the story starts to shift," CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari said.
Pabari further noted that looking ahead, the picture for the rupee appears to be changing. "With most of the NOP-related support now fading and global uncertainties still elevated, the scope for further strength seems limited. USDINR is likely to find a base in the 92.20–92.50 zone, with a gradual move higher towards 93.50–94.00 levels," he said.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was higher by 0.07 per cent at 98.69 as the safe-haven demand has come down after the ceasefire, but as the ceasefire is fragile, the US dollar is getting bids at lower levels.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.51 per cent at USD 96.44 per barrel in futures trade, as the ongoing uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz opening is keeping the oil trade well bid.
Pabari further noted that just as domestic support begins to fade, the global backdrop is turning uneasy again. "The World Bank has flagged that India's growth for FY27, expected at 6.6 per cent, faces risks from rising global tensions, especially the Iran conflict," he said.
According to Pabari, India continues to have strong buffers in the form of forex reserves and a stable banking system, but pressure points are slowly beginning to build.
On the domestic equity market front, the stock markets witnessed a rebound in early trade. The 30-share Sensex jumped 630.08 points to 77,261.73, while the Nifty climbed 203.6 points to 23,978.70.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 1,711.19 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.
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