M A I N   N E W S

SC censures Karnataka Govt
Cases against Veerappan men

NEW DELHI, Oct 11 (UNI) — The Supreme Court today came down heavily on the Karnataka Government for not disclosing to the designated court the ‘real reason’ behind seeking withdrawal of TADA charges against 51 associates of Veerappan.

“Was it not to primarily meet one of the demands of the forest brigand with a view to securing the release of matinee idol Raj Kumar and three of his relatives in exchange of his men?,” asked Mr Justice S.P. Bharucha, heading a three-Judge Bench.

The Bench, which began the much-awaited hearing on an appeal by Abdul Karim, whose only son Shakeel Ahmad was among the 28 police officers gunned down by Veerappan and his men, against an order of the designated court permitting withdrawal of TADA charges, was irked that the application seeking withdrawal did not mention the real reason.

The other members on the Bench were Mr Justice D.P. Mohapatra and Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal. Posted for disposal before the Bench are also two connected public interest litigations — one by Dr B.L. Wadehra and the other by Mr Adarsh Ganesh.

When Solicitor-General Harish Salve, appearing for Karnataka, told the court that the affidavit filed by the state contained detailed reasons, Mr Justice Bharucha retorted: “It is all eyewash. It is pulling wool over the court’s eyes.”

“The designated court should have told that one of the reasons for seeking withdrawal of TADA charges was to secure the release of Raj Kumar, in the captivity of the forest brigand since July 31 last,” Mr Justice Bharucha observed.

Earlier, Mr Chava Badri Babu, counsel for Abdul Karim, apprised the court of the chain of events from inception till the application for withdrawal of TADA charges was moved before the designated court.

He said soon after the withdrawal order was passed by the special judges, bail was granted to the 51 accused in cases against them under the Indian Penal Code by the same judge in his capacity as a sessions judge. And the accused were granted bail despite a permanent stay granted by the apex court against their release.

When Mr Justice Sabharwal asked the counsel whether the state government opposed the bail applications of the 51 accused, Mr Badri Babu replied in the negative.

He said the state government opposed their bail applications till 1999. But this time the stand of the state government was that there were no prima facie charges against them.

When the turn of the other public interest petitioner, Dr Wadehra, came Mr Justice Bharucha asked him to advance his arguments on the following issues:

— Whether the withdrawal of TADA charges could be justified in the wider public interest as contended by the state government and what is the wider public interest involved in the case?

7 ministers lose in Lanka poll

COLOMBO, Oct 11 (PTI) — Seven Sri Lankan Ministers and General Secretaries of the Opposition United National Party (UNP) Gamini Athukorale and leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Rauff Hakeem were among the prominent losers, while Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake was among the notable winners in the general election.

The minister who lost the polls included Kingsely Wickramaratne, Indika Gunawardene, Mithripala Sirisena, H.B. Semasinghe, D.P. Wickramasinghe, and Hema Ratnanayake.

The UNP too suffered a major setback with its general secretary Gaamini Athukorale losing the elections from southern Ratnapura. Party leader Ranil Wickramasinghe was elected from Colombo.

A PA spokesman Sripathi Suryarachchi said the party had the support of 116 MPs, three more than the simple majority in the 225-member House.

However, the PA had put off plans to stake a claim to form the government till tomorrow after Dissanayake announced tonight that he would declare the final results after the completion of repolling.