Bumbling BBMP backracks in SC
BENGALURU:
Call it a comedy of errors, but BBMP is no stranger to legal fumbling. The latest example is one where the civic body made its own government, under which it functions, a respondent in the Special Leave Petition filed in the Supreme Court challenging the interim order issued by the Karnataka government.
The state government had issued an interim order calling for demolition of unauthorised constructions in various parts of the city.
The SLP was being heard for the first time by Supreme Court Justices Arun Mishra and Indira Banerjee on Monday.
It is learnt that BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar and head of the legal cell KD Deshpande were present in the Supreme Court. The case was disposed of the same day after BBMP withdrew its petition.
It is learnt that BBMP realised its blunder in making the state chief secretary and the High Court registrar respondents to the SLP. “This could have embarassed the state government as its own civic agency made them respondents, which is against the law,” an officer who was closely monitoring the issue in the Supreme Court said.
The High Court, in respect of city-based resident R Jagannath’s (WP NO 58588/2017) for removal of unauthorised constructions and in another suo motu case (WP No 41517/2019) had ordered BBMP officials to undertake demolitions in November 2019.
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