Case against 2 former Karnataka CMs for protesting IT raids

Bengaluru, Nov 29 (IANS) Former Karnataka Chief Ministers H.D. Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah were among those against whom cases have been filed for protesting against the Income Tax raids in the run-up to the 2019 parliamentary elections, officials said.

Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah opposed Income Tax raids on their party men in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hassan, Shivamogga and other places, terming them as "politically motivated".

Mallikarjuna A. from Gubbi in Tumakuru district filed the complaint against the leaders and others who also included G. Parameshwara, Dinesh Gundu Rao, and D.K. Shivakumar, officials said.

Former Bengaluru Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar and other senior police officials are also in the group of 17 people booked by the police.

The complainant said the protests resulted in traffic jams and disturbed the IT officials executing their work in March 2019.

Mallikarjuna filed a suit in the city civil court which admitted his petition and directed the police to file FIRs against the accused.

Police filed FIRs on the accused on Wednesday, under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including for waging war against government of India, unlawful assembly, provocation to cause riot and others, officials said.

The model code of conduct was in force when Kumaraswamy and Siddaramiah led the protests outside the Income Tax office in the city.