From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jun 15 : The then Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of Kodagu district have been held responsible for the violent incidents in Madikeri last year, in which two persons including Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Kuttapa were killed, over the public protest against the Tipu Sultan Jayanti by the magisterial inquiry conducted into the incidents.
The violent incidents took place on November 10, 2015 against the Siddaramaiah ministry’s decision to organise Tipu Sultan Jayanti.
The Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru C Shikha, who was asked by the State Government to conduct the magisterial inquiry, has in her report submitted to the State Government held that the absence of the Deputy Commissioner and the SP from the district headquarters as they had gone leave before the Tipu Jayanti celebrations and their failure to hold peace meetings led to the violence.
The State Cabinet which met in Bengaluru on Wednesday with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the chair, accepted the magisterial report.
The absence of two top officials, when their presence was very much required in the district, has been cited as the major reason for the situation going out of control.
Briefing reporters on the decisions taken at the State Cabinet meeting, Karnataka’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra said the report recommended transfer of and non-executive posts for both SP Vartika Katiyar and the Deputy Commissioner Meer Anees Ahmed.
However, Meer Anees Ahmed had retired recently on superannuation.
The State Cabinet decided to serve notices to the two top officers and initiate action against both SP Vartika Katiyar and the then Deputy Commissioner as recommended by the magisterial report.
Katiyar had gone on leave three days before the Tipu Jayanti celebrations while the then Deputy Commissioner Ahmed too went on leave just a day before the event even though both officers were well aware of the protest plans and call for observing bandh given by VHP and BJP leaders.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Kodagu Zilla Panchayat (ZP) M Kurma Rao was in charge of district affairs in the absence of the DC.