Bengaluru, Dec 30 (DHNS): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed nine chargesheets against police officials, including two IPS officers, media houses and TV journalists in connection with the clash outside the City Civil Courts Complex in March 2012.
Clashes had broken out between advocates, mediapersons and the police outside the courts complex immediately after former minister G Janardhana Reddy was produced in a CBI court.
File Photo
The CBI has submitted that more chargesheets will be filed in the coming days. It has levelled charges of criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth language etc, in the chargesheets.
The two IPS officers chargesheeted are:B R Ravikanthe Gowda, the then DCP (Northeast) and G R Ramesh, the then DCP (Central).
The investigation agency has also chargesheeted the then Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ulsoorgate sub-division P S Gachchinakatti. A senior CBI official said that the police officials have been charged with offences under Sections 34 of IPC read with Sections 323, 324, 325, 427, 450 and Section 3 (1) of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The offences under IPC sections include causing hurt and house-trespass in order to commit offence, which are punishable with imprisonment for life.
The CBI has filed three chargesheets against TV channels – Samaya, Suvarna and TV9 represented by its editors. Two separate chargesheets have been filed against three TV journalists.
The media personnel and organisations have been booked under Sections 120 (b) read with 153 A (1) of IPC, Section 66 (a) of IT Act and Section 16 of Cable Network Act.
On March 2, 2012, a clash had ensued between advocates, media and police personnel after Reddy was produced in a court in an illegal mining case. The advocates had objected to the presence of TV journalists at the court premises and a heated debate turned violent. The police later had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the clashing groups.
Last year, the Supreme Court set aside the Karnataka High Court order for constituting a Special Investigating Team (SIT) and ordered a CBI investigation in the case.
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