Karnataka Govt to Approach HC for Appointment of 'Claim Commissioner' to Access Property Damage During Bengaluru Violence

The Karnataka government on Monday said it has decided to approach the High Court for the appointment of 'Claim Commissioner' for the purpose of assessment of damages caused to private and public property during last week's violence in the city, and recover the costs from the culprits.

It said stringent action has been initiated against those responsible for the violent incidents including invoking the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa chaired a meeting with Home minister Basavaraj Bommai and senior state government officials today. "Our Govt has decided to assess the damages caused to public & private property in the violent incidents in KG Halli & DG Halli & recover the costs from the culprits. We will approach Hon'ble High Court for the appointment of Claim Commissioner as per Hon'ble Supreme Court order, "Yediyurappa tweeted.

"Stringent action has been initiated against the culprits of DJ Halli and KG Halli violent incidents including invoking of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act – UAPAAct," he said in another tweet. The state government had last week decided to recover the loss caused to public and private property during the violence in parts of the city on August 11 night, by making rioters pay for it.

"It was resolved in the meeting to approach the high court for the appointment of Claim Commissioner as per the order of Supreme Court for the purposes of assessment of damages caused to private and public property and for recovery from the culprits," the Chief Minister's office said in a statement.

The Chief Minister was briefed by the officers about the stringent action initiated against the culprits of D J Halli and KG Halli including invoking the UAPA, it said. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, Advocate General Prabhuling Navadagi, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajanish Goel, DGP Praveen Sood, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant and other senior police officials. Stating that a Special Investigation Team has already been formed to investigate the incident in a thorough manner, the CMO said a team of three special public prosecutors would be appointed for conducting the cases.

"The invocation of Goonda Act will also be considered by the SIT in the cases wherever the provisions are attracted," it said. The violence in D J Halli and adjoining areas on August 11 night was unleashed by hundreds of people over a purportedly inflammatory social media post allegedly put out by P Naveen, a relative of Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA RAkhanda Srinivasa Murthy.

The MLA's residence and a police station at D JHalli were torched by rioters who also set many police and private vehicles afire, and looted the belongings of the legislator and his sister.