After HC rap, police book Panchamasali rally organisers

BENGALURU: Bengaluru police have booked organisers of the Panchamasali rally in the city for violating Covid norms after the Karnataka High Court pulled up the state government for not setting criminal law into motion despite violations.The state government placed before a division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj, a memo containing details of the FIR filed by Sadashivanagar police in response to directions issued during the hearing of a PIL filed by Letzkit Foundation. 

The FIR, filed under provisions of the Disaster Management Act, lists former MLA Vijayananda Kashappanavar, who is president of the Akhila Bharata Lingayata Panchamasali Mahasabha, as the accused. It states that the accused and 80,000 people staged protests for certain causes without wearing masks, maintaining physical distance and not following sanitisation protocol in public spaces.

The Court said the investigation must be taken to its logical conclusion and investigation report must be submitted to the court in a sealed cover. Meanwhile, advocate GR Mohan placed photographs before the court and drew its attention to functions, rallies, and crowds gathering during film promotion events. He also pointed out that Covid cases were on the rise in the city.The Court ordered the State to ensure that penal action is initiated against violators.