Karnataka HC fines CM Siddaramaiah, Cong leaders ₹10,000 over illegal protest in Santhosh Patil suicide case

Karnataka High Court summons CM Siddaramaiah and Congress leaders over protests for former minister KS Eshwarappa's arrest.

Published on: Feb 6, 2024, 12:59:29 IST

By Yamini C S

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The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday came down hard on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other Congress leaders for holding protests demanding the arrest of the then state minister K S Eshwarappa over the Santhosh Patil suicide case in Bengaluru in April 2022.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah. (File Photo)

The court imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on the CM, his cabinet colleagues M B Patil (Minister of Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development) and Ramalinga Reddy (Transport Minister) as well as senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, summoning them before the people's representatives' court.

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The court summoned CM Siddaramaiah on March 6, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on March 7, Congress Karnataka in-charge R S Surjewala on March 11 and M B Patil on March 15, news agency ANI reported.

The Congress leaders had all staged a demonstration inside the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, demanding Eshwarappa's immediate arrest after the former minister was linked to the contractor, Santhosh Patil's death. They had allegedly also marched illegally towards former CM Basavaraj Bommai's official residence, seeking Eshwarappa's resignation from his post.

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In this light, a single judge bench of the Karnataka High Court, consisting of Justice Krishna Dixit, dismissed a petition filed by CM Siddaramaiah and others seeking to quash the criminal case lodged against them.

Civil works contractor Patil was found dead in a lodge in Udupi in April 2022. He had accused Eshwarappa of corruption, alleging that he demands 40 per cent commission on each contract.

ALSO READ | Eshwarappa will be clear of all allegations & return as Minister: Yediyurappa

Eshwarappa was in charge of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department and had resigned after the row over his alleged involvement in the contractor's death.

(With inputs from ANI)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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