Date:22/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/22/stories/2007092260560400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Court stays suspension of KIADB secretary

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Friday stayed, till further orders, the suspension of a senior State Government official.

In his petition, K. Sridhara, who is the secretary of Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), said he was suspended on July 24, 2007, by the board, on the instructions of the Chief Minister. The instructions to suspend him, he alleged, were mechanically conveyed to the board by the secretary of Industries and Commerce.

Main charge

He said he later came to know that his suspension was connected with the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (BMICP) Expressway coming up between Bangalore and Mysore.

He said the main charge against him was that he had executed two sale deeds in favour of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), which is taking up the expressway project.

He said the sale deeds of June 8, 2006 and July 5, 2006, in favour of the company, were said to have been executed by him.

He urged the court to stay his suspension and all further proceedings.

The KIADB defended the suspension and said that they had been done according to the rules.

Justice D.V. Shylendra Kumar stayed the suspension and adjourned further hearing on the case.

In another case, Justice Shylendra Kumar came down heavily on Bangalore Electric Supply Company (BESCOM) for violating court orders relating to the transfer of an assistant executive engineer from Challakere to Chitradurga.

The Judge directed the company to pay 75 per cent of the back wages due to the engineer.