SC to hear on Monday Siddaramaiah's plea seeking quashing of FIR filed for blocking traffic
The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea filed by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking the quashing of an FIR against him and other Congress leaders for blocking a road during a protest in 2022. The plea challenges the decision of the Karnataka High Court dismissing the petition filed by CM Siddaramaiah and others seeking to quash trial proceedings in the Special Court.
The plea is scheduled to be heard by a bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra on February 19. The Karnataka High Court had imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on each of the petitioners and ordered CM Siddaramaiah to remain present before the MPs/MLAs Court on February 26.
The FIR was lodged against CM Siddaramaiah and other Congress leaders with Bengaluru’s High Grounds police station on April 14, 2022, during a protest organized by the Congress party over a suicide case of a contractor. The protest had demanded the resignation of then Minister K.S. Eshwarappa and had caused severe traffic disruptions on the busy Race Course Road, leading to an inconvenience to the public.
The plea before the apex court aims to challenge the decision of the Karnataka High Court and the NBW issued by the Special Court, with the Congress leaders arguing that the road blockage was a result of their representation of the people. The case raises questions about the balance between the right to protest and the impact of such protests on public conveniences and law and order.
The hearing of the plea by the Supreme Court will be closely watched as it addresses the legal ramifications of protests and road blockages carried out by political leaders and parties, and the implications for upholding the rule of law while allowing for dissent and expression of grievances.
The outcome of the Supreme Court hearing could have far-reaching consequences for future protests and demonstrations organized by political parties and leaders, impacting the manner in which such events are conducted to prevent disruptions to public life and ensure the smooth functioning of the law and order system.
