BENGALURU:  The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the state government to submit data on the demolition of illegal religious structures across the state, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions.A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Mohammad Nawaz issued this direction while hearing a PIL registered by the court based on the SC’s verdict. 

The court said that the state should collect data from all civic bodies across the state, except Bruhat Bangaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), to prove they were complying with the SC’s directions and submit the same to the court on or before September 26, 2019.  

The court also directed the state to issue directions to authorities of local bodies if they fail to comply with the directions.  As far as the BBMP is concerned, the court directed its Registry to issue a notice to the BBMP Commissioner to submit the details in terms of the SC’s directions on illegal religious structures on or before September 26, 2019. 

‘BBMP’s conduct is contemptuous’
The HC issued a notice to the BBMP Commissioner to file an affidavit as to why the court should not initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against him for breach of order. Observing that the civic body’s conduct was contemptuous, the court directed the Commissioner to file an affidavit on or before October 26, 2019 for not complying with the directions issued by the HC on August 23, in relation to the additional constructions of a temple built in a park on Magadi Road.