Karnataka land scams: Katta Jagadish & son’s hearing on Feb 7

The high court on Tuesday posted petitions filed by Katta Jagadish, corporator of Vasanth Nagar ward, and son of former IT and BT minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, in the case relating to land scams of the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), to February 7.

The Lokayukta police have filed a first-information report in the high court in connection with this case. Petitions filed by Jagadish had come up for hearing before justice V Jagannathan. Advocate CV Nagesh, counsel for Katta Jagadish, raised preliminary objections as senior counsel BV Acharya represented the Lokayukta police.

The counsel submitted that no primary information had been provided to the effect that senior counsel BV Acharya would be representing the Lokayukta police. There was also no notification from the state government in this regard, he argued.

Acharya, however, submitted that under Section 24 of the Criminal Procedure Code (public prosecutors), with the Advocate’s Act 1961, senior counsels can plead on behalf of the advocate on record. There was, thus, no legal bar on his appearance.

The case that came up for hearing was related to Katta Jagadish’s petition seeking quashing of the FIR filed against him by the Lokayukta in the high court. The FIR also named his father, Katta Subramanya Naidu, as the first accused. Jagadish is listed as the second accused.