Senior advocate KN Puttegowda alleges in letter to BBMP chief that notwithstanding civic engineers being present during his virtual court hearing on February 7, HC directed another BBMP panel advocate to ensure Chief Engineer’s presence in court
Puttegowda, who says he has not charged a single paise from BBMP in the potholes case, returns the file to BBMP chief with a ‘no objection’ vakalat and demands Rs 25,000 per hearing since 2015
BENGALURU:
Even as the Karnataka High Court is seized of the issue of Bengaluru’s notorious potholes and has been hearing the matter since 2015, there is a buzz among legal circles over the manner in which the HC conveyed its direction for the BBMP Chief Engineer to be present before the court. As a result, a senior member of BBMP’s legal panel and former president of the Bengaluru Advocates’ Association KN Puttegowda shot off a ‘stinker’ to BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta and returned the related file with a ‘no objection’ vakalat.
Recently, Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi had heard the potholes-related issue in respect of WP No.42927/2015 filed by Vijayan Menon and had questioned BBMP on the delay in renewing the pothole-filling tender awarded to American Road Technology.
The matter was listed on February 7 and was attended virtually by Puttegowda, whereupon it was adjourned to March 7. Interestingly, the HC on the same day (February 7) called advocate Sreenidhi, who is also on BBMPs panel, and directed the Chief Engineer to be present before the court at 2.30 pm.
Virtual hearing on Feb 7
Puttegowda’s letter to the BBMP Chief Commissioner reads: “The matter reached before the Hon’ble Court on 07.02.2022. I appeared through video conference from my residence and I made a submission that I have tested corona-positive and am not able make submissions. I further submitted that as per the order of the Hon’ble Court, the concerned engineers are present in my office through the video conference and requested the Hon’ble Court to adjourn the matter for two weeks. The Hon’ble Court adjourned the matter to 07.03.2022 at 11.30 am.”
The letter continues: “Again, I came to know that the Hon’ble Court called Mr Sreenidhi, learned advocate on the panel, and directed the Chief Engineer to be present before the Hon’ble Court at 2.30 pm. Again I made an appearance through video conference from my residence and made a submission that in the morning I had brought to the notice of the Hon’ble Court that the officers have appeared though Video Conference from my office and that, at my request, the case is adjourned to 07.03.2022. At that stage, the Hon’ble Court observed that Mr Sreenidhi, learned counsel on the panel, has been instructed to get the officials to be present at 2.30 pm before the Hon’ble Court. Since the Hon’ble Court entrusted the matter to the learned advocate on the panel Mr Sreenidhi, I am herewith returning the file with a ‘no objection’ vakalat.”
Case chronology
An obviously annoyed Puttegowda, who has not charged a single paise in court fees since 2015, said in his letter: “I represented BBMP in the above case from 2015 till 07.02.2022, and appeared and defended BBMP at more than 50 hearings. I have not received any fee in the above case.” He continued: “In the year 2018, the above case was taken back from me and entrusted to an advocate on the panel who is junior to me and (who was) paid Rs 75,000 per hearing for a period of one year (about 10 to 12 hearings). Again, after some time the above matter was withdrawn from him and re-entrusted to me. (Later) at the instance of the then (BBMP) Commissioner, a senior counsel was engaged and paid Rs 1.50 lakh per hearing (about 3 to 4 hearings). Thereafter the learned senior counsel had not appeared, and I continued to represent BBMP till 07.02.2022.”
Puttegowda through his letter has requested the BBMP Chief Commissioner to recommend payment of Rs 25,000 per hearing from 2015 till 07.02.2022. “As I am the seniormost advocate on the BBMP panel, and after taking the entire order sheet, I will submit my professional fee of Rs 25,000 per hearing,” he added.
