HC fines Rs 1 lakh on state govt for illegal arrest in defamation case

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court finned Rs 1 lakh on the state government over the illegal arrest of S Jayakanth, for posting comments against former prime minister H D Devegowda on social media.

A single-judge bench of Justice P S Dinesh Kumar pronounced the verdict on Friday, October 11. The Court also ordered an inquiry against the police officer and the magistrate.

The police had arrested S Jaikanth, administrator of the Facebook page, Troll Maga for allegedly posting abusive and insulting, posts against former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda, Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and his son and leader from the party, Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

Advocate for petitioner M Arun Shyam contended that police have deprived the petitioner of his fundamental rights. Justice Dinesh Kumar observed in the judgment that the police action against the petitioner was illegal and ordered the government to pay Rs 1 lakh to the petitioner in a month.

The court directed the Director-General of Police (DGP) to conduct a departmental inquiry against the police officers who filed the second FIR in the same case, and recover the cost from officers found guilty in the departmental inquiry within three months.