ACB chief Seemanth Singh files plea to expunge remarks by Karnataka HC judge

"The petitioner is deeply hurt by the oral observations made by the learned single judge which has caused a severe dent to the reputation of the petitioner and also that of the ACB," the petition said.
ACB chief Seemanth Kumar Singh
ACB chief Seemanth Kumar Singh
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Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Seemanth Kumar Singh has filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking to expunge the remarks made by a single judge against him and the state ACB during the hearing of a bail petition in connection with a bribery case. "The petitioner is deeply hurt by the oral observations made by the learned single judge which has caused a severe dent to the reputation of the petitioner and also that of the ACB," the petition said.

On June 30, during the hearing of the bail petition of deputy tehsildar Mahesh in connection with a bribery case, Singh was asked to be personally present before Justice HP Sandesh in the Karnataka High Court. The High Court had sought to know why then DC J Manjunath was not made an accused in the case, following which the court was promised that he would be made a party in the case. 

Questioning the exclusion of Manjunath in the FIR, Justice Sandesh had called the ACB a "centre of corruption" and "collection centre” and said that the ACB is presently “headed by a tainted ADGP”. Following the HC’s adverse remarks, J Manjunath was added as an accused in the bribery case and was also shunted out as the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban. 

On July 4, in a sensational allegation, Justice Sandesh had stated in open court that he was threatened with a transfer for pulling up the Karnataka ACB as the ADGP of the ACB had expressed unhappiness with the judge’s remarks against the ACB.

In his petition, Singh said the judge asked for his service records to be submitted and there were negative remarks in it. "The learned single judge has also stated that the petitioner is apparently powerful and has made several other unwarranted and baseless statements," the petition said.

Singh’s petition has sought a stay on the order of Justice Sandesh calling for his service records on the grounds that it was beyond the scope of the bail petition the court was hearing. He also sought for expunging the oral observations made by the judge which he said were widely reported in the media and dented his image. 

Seeking necessary direction to the learned “single judge to consider the bail petition on merits without going beyond the scope of the petition,” Singh noted that the judge was making remarks that were violating his fundamental rights. 

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