The city police on Monday told the High Court of Karnataka that they have denied permission for holding procession by various organisations under the banner of the Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samithi as part of their Bengaluru bandh call.
The Samithi has been granted permission to hold only a demonstration at Freedom Park on the Cauvery water issue, and the police have made it clear to the court.
The police have also told the court that around 800 persons, who were accused of indulging in violence during the bandh call given on Cauvery water row in 2016, have been temporarily detained as a precautionary measure.
Stating that the samithi has also been made aware that the bandh call is contrary to the judgements of the apex court and carrying out procession in Bengaluru city is against the directions of the High Court, the police have told the Court that notice has been issued to the Samithi on its bandh call.
An affidavit in this regard has been filed by H.T. Shekhar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) during the urgent hearing of PIL petitions taken by the High Court on an application filed by one of the petitioners, Ravikumar Kanchanahalli, on Monday.
The petitioner, in his application, had sought directions to the authorities to take preventive measures to prevent untoward incidents and damages to the public and private properties during September 26 bandh.
The application was filed in the petition filed by himself in 2018, which is pending final adjudication about the alleged illegality of a bandh call given in 2018 in Bengaluru, and Ramanagara district, and the damages caused to public properties during that bandh.
“Safe priority zones for Tamil Nadu registered vehicles have been identified and security will be provided for those vehicles. The pockets of Tamil-speaking people and commercial commercial establishments owned by Tamilians would be provided with security,” it has been assured in the affidavit.
A division bench comprising Justice G. Narendar and Justice Vijaykumar A. Patil, which took note of the earlier orders of the apex court and the High Court and steps take by the authorities to implement them, observed that the matter does not call for any further directions from the Court in view of the measures indicated by the police in their affidavit.
