The high court circuit bench in Dharwad on Monday admitted a writ petition of Tapal Narayan Reddy questioning Karnataka home department’s order to withdraw cases pertaining to encroachment by Obalapuram Mining Company.
The single judge bench admitted the writ petition and ordered an issuance of notice to the respondent. The judge also ordered that the status quo be maintained.
The home department had instructed public prosecutor to write to the JMFC court in Sandur seeking withdrawal of cases of encroachment on Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border by OMC following a cabinet decision to that effect. Tapal Narayan Reddy, father of Tapal Ganesh, had filed a writ petition in the high circuit bench questioning this order.
Tapal Ganesh had filed a complaint with police that Obalapuram Mining Company had destroyed marks that separated Karnataka from Andhra Pradesh and had encroached into his (Tapal’s) mining area. The police had registered the case and filed an FIR. OMC had asked the government to withdraw the case. Karnataka Cabinet had decided to withdraw the case and the home department wrote to the public prosecutor to take steps for withdrawing the case.
The circuit bench on Monday admitted another application filed by four members of two mining companies seeking anticipatory bail and posted the case for hearing on August 2. Four persons belonging to Adani Enterprises and Doddannavar Brothers had filed the application in the high court after their application in Karwar district court was rejected. The applicants had feared arrest in connection with illegal transport of iron ore.