Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court on Friday upheld a
recent Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order unseating Shankar M
Bidari as the states director general and inspector general of police
(DG&IGP ).In a stinging rebuke,a division bench comprising justices N Kumar and H S Kempanna said Bidari should be replaced immediately with DG (Fire and Emergency Services,Civil Defence
and Home Guards) A R Infant if the state has any respect for the rule of law,womanhood and human rights and any concern for the downtrodden and the backward classes in the society.
Dismissing the petitions filed by Bidari and the government challenging the March 16 CAT order,the court took serious exception to the governments application seeking a stay on the verdict to allow them to file a special leave petition before the apex court on the issue.
It is unfortunate that the state government has filed this application.The state has not learnt a lesson.It fully justifies whatever we have said earlier in our order.If the state has any respect for rule of law,womanhood and human rights and any concern for the downtrodden and the backward classes in the society,it should relieve respondent No.3 (Bidari ) immediately and appoint the applicant (A R Infant ) forthwith in his place Otherwise,they are answerable to the people of this state, the bench said in its judgment,delivered over five hours spanning two days.
WORSE THAN GADHAFI,SADDAM: COURT
If the state has any respect for the rule of law,womanhood and human rights and any concern for the downtrodden and the backward classes in the society,it should relieve Bidari immediately and appoint A R Infant If the averments made by the women (whove sworn affidavits alleging rape) are true,then Bidari is worse than Gadhafi and Saddam Hussein
ENTER A R Infant,DG (Fire & Emergency)
Shankar Mahadev Bidari was a go-getter who could
weather any storm.Till his elevation as the head of the state police
that is.Upset that his seniority had been overlooked,Bidaris colleague
AR Infant knocked at the courts doors to get his grievance
redressed.Bidaris ability to claw back from any position of disadvantage
is legendary.Take,for instance,his becoming the DG&IG of state
police.When Bidari was shunted out from the post of the Bangalore police
commissioner,everyone thought that the mans bluff had been called.Amid
the buzz that he had rubbed then chief minister BS Yeddyurappa the wrong
way,he was sent to the railways as an additional director general of
police,by any yardstick an inconsequential posting.
But Bidari was not the one to lie low.Within no time he was in the thick of action as he was elevated as DGP (CID,special units and training).More was to come as Bidari began getting the right people to lobby for him.As Neelam Achutha Rao was to retire as police chief on December 1 last,a top seer is believed to have intervened on Bidaris behalf.The seer is believed to have categorically told Yeddyurappa,who was by then calling the shots with his protg DV Sadananda Gowda as CM,that Paapu (as the swamiji affectionately called Bidari) be made DG&IGP.
But a storm that everyone thought he had weathered almost two decades back has now done Bidari in and that too in the twilight of his career.With a month to go for his retirement from the service,Bidari was on Friday shown the door by the Karnataka high court,citing alleged human rights violations committed by the Special Task Force headed by him during operations to nab forest brigand Veerappan in 1993-96.
The government had to admit that reports by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the alleged atrocities by STF
But Bidari was not the one to lie low.Within no time he was in the thick of action as he was elevated as DGP (CID,special units and training).More was to come as Bidari began getting the right people to lobby for him.As Neelam Achutha Rao was to retire as police chief on December 1 last,a top seer is believed to have intervened on Bidaris behalf.The seer is believed to have categorically told Yeddyurappa,who was by then calling the shots with his protg DV Sadananda Gowda as CM,that Paapu (as the swamiji affectionately called Bidari) be made DG&IGP.
But a storm that everyone thought he had weathered almost two decades back has now done Bidari in and that too in the twilight of his career.With a month to go for his retirement from the service,Bidari was on Friday shown the door by the Karnataka high court,citing alleged human rights violations committed by the Special Task Force headed by him during operations to nab forest brigand Veerappan in 1993-96.
The government had to admit that reports by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the alleged atrocities by STF
STUNG,DGP BIDARI SHUTS HIMSELF IN CHAMBERS
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
The Karnataka high court verdict came around 1pm Friday and reached DGP Bidaris chambers in the state police headquarters on Nrupatunga Road in no time.Bidari had just then finished giving dictation to his staff and taken up some files.After hearing the order,Bidari asked his staff not to disturb him and locked himself up in his chambers.
Even his PAs did not dare to put him across to those who wanted to speak to him on the phone.They curtly told the callers that the top cop was resting in his ante-chamber.Both his official and personal mobile phones kept ringing and elicited no response.
Knowing well that media will be waiting for his response,Bidari allowed the crew of a vernacular TV channel into his chambers at 3 pm.Perhaps one of the most outspoken of all state police chiefs had the shortest byte of his career ready for the media : I am appealing to the Supreme Court.
Dinakar took battle to apex court
When the JH Patel government decided to remove AP Durai from the DGPs post in 1997,C Dinakar was to replace him given his seniority and efficiency.But Dinakar was overlooked and T Srinivasulu was appointed DGP though he was one year junior.Dinakar went to CAT but lost the case.He appealed to the Karnataka High Court and won.But the state government appealed to the Supreme Court.Dinakar argued his own case and won the special leave petition in the SC.After the state government ignored the SCs directives to make him DGP,Dinakar filed a contempt plea in the apex court,which asked him to approach the high court.After a protracted legal battle,Dinakar was made DG&IG in 2000.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
The Karnataka high court verdict came around 1pm Friday and reached DGP Bidaris chambers in the state police headquarters on Nrupatunga Road in no time.Bidari had just then finished giving dictation to his staff and taken up some files.After hearing the order,Bidari asked his staff not to disturb him and locked himself up in his chambers.
Even his PAs did not dare to put him across to those who wanted to speak to him on the phone.They curtly told the callers that the top cop was resting in his ante-chamber.Both his official and personal mobile phones kept ringing and elicited no response.
Knowing well that media will be waiting for his response,Bidari allowed the crew of a vernacular TV channel into his chambers at 3 pm.Perhaps one of the most outspoken of all state police chiefs had the shortest byte of his career ready for the media : I am appealing to the Supreme Court.
Dinakar took battle to apex court
When the JH Patel government decided to remove AP Durai from the DGPs post in 1997,C Dinakar was to replace him given his seniority and efficiency.But Dinakar was overlooked and T Srinivasulu was appointed DGP though he was one year junior.Dinakar went to CAT but lost the case.He appealed to the Karnataka High Court and won.But the state government appealed to the Supreme Court.Dinakar argued his own case and won the special leave petition in the SC.After the state government ignored the SCs directives to make him DGP,Dinakar filed a contempt plea in the apex court,which asked him to approach the high court.After a protracted legal battle,Dinakar was made DG&IG in 2000.
15 yrs on,theres no change in Bidaris attitude
P Vasanth Kumar | TNN
The Karnataka High Court dwelt at length on the alleged atrocities by the personnel of the Special Task Force,which was headed by Shankar M Bidari,that was hunting down brigand Veerappan,in its Friday order that has upheld the CAT order on unseating Bidari as DG&IGP.
Even after 15 years,there is no remorse or transformation in the petitioners.There is no change in the mental attitude of the petitioner, the high court bench said,noting that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) failed to take any follow up action based on the report given by a panel it had appointed.The panel had highlighted the rape and torture of women and atrocities on residents of 48 villages in the border areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu during the operations to nab forest brigand Veerappan.Bidari was commandant of the Special Task Force (STF) constituted to nab the forest brigand during 1993-96.The bench wondered how could Bidaris self-claimed achievements like being the only IPS officer from the state to have received two gallantry awards apart from a Rs 1.6 crore cash purpose for the killing of Veerappan were considered,while the adverse remarks regarding excesses by the same force of which he was the commandant were not considered as relevant to be placed before the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) when his name was considered for empanelment.
While Bidari has claimed in his biodata that 60 Veerappan gang members were killed in various encounters,suspicion has been expressed about 36 of them being fake ones.The dark side of the petitioner was not at all placed before UPSC, it noted,while absolving the central agency.
The bench noted that the report of the NHRC panel headed by Justice A J Sadashiva,a former Karnataka HC judge,on the alleged atrocities committed during anti-Veerappan operations was a relevant one.It said that not placing them before the UPSC vitiated Bidaris empanelment and also his appointment as DG&IGP.
HE IS WORSE THAN GADDAFI AND SADDAM,OBSERVES BENCH
The bench noted that if the testimonies /statements of tribal women before the Sadashiva panel regarding atrocities committed by the STF headed by Bidari were true,then thats worse than what Col Mohammed Gaddafi of Libya and Saddam Hussein of Iraq had done.If the averments made by the women who have sworn affidavits alleging rape are true,then he is worse than Gadhafi and Saddam Hussein, the bench observed.
The benchs observation was a reference to Bidaris claim in his objections filed before the CAT that he was only a commandant of STF and not an omnipotent leader like Gaddafi or Hussein.Bidari also claimed that if he were to be held responsible for the said atrocities,then two chief ministers,two ADGPs and four DGPs under whom he had worked as the STF chief were also equally responsible.
The bench said that this was an effort to unnecessarily drag people into the controversy.
The bench said that the contention of the government and Bidari that the Sadashiva panel report was without jurisdiction was nothing but unfortunate.It also noted that the said report was neither placed before the CAT nor before this court.Perusing the records pertaining to empanelment of Bidari,the bench noted that all proceedings of empanelment and appointment happened in a single day,on November 30 when the N Achutha Rao retired from service.The chief secretary and DG&IG were in Delhi and a meeting was held along with the UPSC members.Ten-year records pertaining to annual performance of five officers were considered.In the afternoon,a fax message was sent to Bangalore.The same was placed before the CM and the selection was made, the bench has noted.
source:taimes of india
P Vasanth Kumar | TNN
The Karnataka High Court dwelt at length on the alleged atrocities by the personnel of the Special Task Force,which was headed by Shankar M Bidari,that was hunting down brigand Veerappan,in its Friday order that has upheld the CAT order on unseating Bidari as DG&IGP.
Even after 15 years,there is no remorse or transformation in the petitioners.There is no change in the mental attitude of the petitioner, the high court bench said,noting that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) failed to take any follow up action based on the report given by a panel it had appointed.The panel had highlighted the rape and torture of women and atrocities on residents of 48 villages in the border areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu during the operations to nab forest brigand Veerappan.Bidari was commandant of the Special Task Force (STF) constituted to nab the forest brigand during 1993-96.The bench wondered how could Bidaris self-claimed achievements like being the only IPS officer from the state to have received two gallantry awards apart from a Rs 1.6 crore cash purpose for the killing of Veerappan were considered,while the adverse remarks regarding excesses by the same force of which he was the commandant were not considered as relevant to be placed before the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) when his name was considered for empanelment.
While Bidari has claimed in his biodata that 60 Veerappan gang members were killed in various encounters,suspicion has been expressed about 36 of them being fake ones.The dark side of the petitioner was not at all placed before UPSC, it noted,while absolving the central agency.
The bench noted that the report of the NHRC panel headed by Justice A J Sadashiva,a former Karnataka HC judge,on the alleged atrocities committed during anti-Veerappan operations was a relevant one.It said that not placing them before the UPSC vitiated Bidaris empanelment and also his appointment as DG&IGP.
HE IS WORSE THAN GADDAFI AND SADDAM,OBSERVES BENCH
The bench noted that if the testimonies /statements of tribal women before the Sadashiva panel regarding atrocities committed by the STF headed by Bidari were true,then thats worse than what Col Mohammed Gaddafi of Libya and Saddam Hussein of Iraq had done.If the averments made by the women who have sworn affidavits alleging rape are true,then he is worse than Gadhafi and Saddam Hussein, the bench observed.
The benchs observation was a reference to Bidaris claim in his objections filed before the CAT that he was only a commandant of STF and not an omnipotent leader like Gaddafi or Hussein.Bidari also claimed that if he were to be held responsible for the said atrocities,then two chief ministers,two ADGPs and four DGPs under whom he had worked as the STF chief were also equally responsible.
The bench said that this was an effort to unnecessarily drag people into the controversy.
The bench said that the contention of the government and Bidari that the Sadashiva panel report was without jurisdiction was nothing but unfortunate.It also noted that the said report was neither placed before the CAT nor before this court.Perusing the records pertaining to empanelment of Bidari,the bench noted that all proceedings of empanelment and appointment happened in a single day,on November 30 when the N Achutha Rao retired from service.The chief secretary and DG&IG were in Delhi and a meeting was held along with the UPSC members.Ten-year records pertaining to annual performance of five officers were considered.In the afternoon,a fax message was sent to Bangalore.The same was placed before the CM and the selection was made, the bench has noted.
source:taimes of india
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