Bengaluru, May 26 (IANS): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister has approached the High Court seeking quashing of cases against him lodged during the Mekedatu padayatra for violating Covid guidelines and defying government orders.

The bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, taking up separate petitions relating to eight cases in this regard on Friday, adjourned the matter to one week.

The counsel for the petitioner Shivakumar pleaded before the court to grant time to correct the objections to the cases and the bench agreed and asked the counsel to get the corrections done on time.

Congress had launched a 10-day padayatra under the leadership of Shivakumar from January 9, 2022 to demand the implementation of the Mekedatu project at the height of Covid pandemic. Ramanagar tehsildar and other government officers had lodged complaints with the Ramanagara Rural and other police stations in this regard.

The police had submitted a charge sheet on February 9, 2023 to the People Representatives' Special court. Shivakumar had sought quashing of the cases in the High Court.

The FIR had been lodged under the provisions of 5 (3) A, 143, 290, 336 and 141 of Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act. Many sitting MLAs, MLCs and senior leaders of Congress party have been named as accused persons in these cases.