Bengaluru: In a significant development, the Karnataka High Court has stayed the Congress government’s decision to withdraw prosecution in 52 criminal cases, including those arising out of the riots at the Aland Ladle Mashak Dargah in Aland taluk of Kalaburagi district.
The interim order came on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Girish Bharadwaj, challenging the State Cabinet’s May 22 decision to withdraw the cases. Siddaramaiah was the Chief Minister then.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha passed the interim order after prima facie finding fault with the state’s invocation of Section 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to seek withdrawal of prosecutions. The Bench observed that the government’s action appeared to be contrary to the Karnataka High Court’s earlier directions governing the withdrawal of criminal cases.
Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Venkatesh Dalwai argued that the state had withdrawn the cases in blatant violation of established legal procedure based on the direct recommendations of three senior ministers in the government. He submitted that the decision was in complete disregard of the Karnataka High Court’s 2025 judgment, which had laid down strict guidelines for the withdrawal of criminal prosecutions.
Dalwai further contended that the decision was politically motivated and taken with mala fide intent rather than on legally sustainable grounds.
After considering the submissions, the Division Bench granted an interim stay on the government’s order, preventing the withdrawal of prosecution in the 52 criminal cases until further orders.
The cases proposed to be withdrawn include the Aland Ladle Mashak Dargah riots case, among others. The High Court will continue hearing the PIL in the coming days.
It can be noted that the withdrawn cases included 10 against veteran Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj, seven related to the 2022 communal violence at the Ladle Mashak Dargah in Aland (Kalaburagi district), as well as charges stemming from farmer, Dalit, and pro-Kannada protests.
Deputy CM G. Parameshwara, then Home Minister, defended the cabinet decision, stating that the cases were individually reviewed by a Cabinet Sub-Committee and that many of the individuals involved were activists whose cases were politically motivated.
The Opposition BJP strongly criticised the decision, labelling it “vote-bank and appeasement politics”.
A petition was filed in the High Court by Girish Bharadwaj challenging the government’s order. The court halted the withdrawal of these cases, ruling that the government’s blanket directive violated due legal process and an earlier court order.
(IANS)
