Bengaluru riots: Govt nod to file writ for appointing claims commissioner

Bengaluru, Aug 18: The Karnataka government has written to the high court requesting it to appoint a claims commissioner to estimate the damages and investigate liability of public during last week's violence in the city, and recover the costs from the culprits.

"Sanction is accorded to the High Court Government advocate Bengaluru to file and prefer Writ Petition before the Honourable High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru for the appointment of Claims Commissioner to estimate the damages and investigate liability and award compensation, with respect to the violent incident on 11-08-2020 in the limits of Devarajanahalli and Kadugondanahalli police station of Bengaluru City Police on behalf of the state of Karnataka represented by Additional Chief Secretary to government Home Department, Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru-01," the order said.

"The Additional Inspector General of Police (Genaral), Office of the DG and IGP -2 Nrupatunga Road Bengaluru is directed to furnish to the High Court Government Advocate, Bengaluru all particulars, para wise remarks and records required to be filed in this connection for preparing draft statement of objections and copy to this department," it added.

"The ADGP (Generala) Office of the DG and IGP -2 Nrupatunga Road Bengaluru shall be the litigation conducting officer and Swearing officer and he shall sign the concerned Petition and swear Affidavit," it further said.

The state government had last week decided to recover the loss caused to public and private property during the violence in parts of the city on August 11 night, by making rioters pay for it.

"It was resolved in the meeting to approach the High Court for appointment of Claim Commissioner as per the order of Supreme Court for the purposes of assessment of damages caused to private and public property and for recovery from the culprits," the Chief Minister's office said in a statement.

The violence in D J Halli and adjoining areas on August 11 night was unleashed by hundreds of people over a purportedly inflammatory social media post allegedly put out by P Naveen, a relative of Pulakeshinagar Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy.

The MLA's residence and a police station at D J Halli were torched by rioters who also set many police and private vehicles afire, and looted the belongings of the legislator and his sister.

Four people were killed after police opened fire to quell a mob that went on a rampage in a city locality on Tuesday night.