All eyes on Karnataka High Court as move to arrest editors gains steam

Bengaluru: The home department handed over an Action Taken Report (ATR) to secretary of the Legislative Assembly, S Murthy, on Wednesday as a follow-up on the resolution of the House on one-year imprisonment of two editors even as more voices in the ruling Congress, including general secretary K C Venugopal, spoke up against the controversial decision announced by Speaker K B Koliwad.

Official sources said the report was submitted by additional chief secretary (Home), Subhash Chandra, with inputs from police officers during a meeting with Mr Murthy.

While declining to disclose what transpired at the meeting, Mr Murthy told Deccan Chronicle that statements of all three officials- additional chief secretary (Home), deputy inspector general of police (prisons), and Bengaluru city police commissioner were recorded and sent to the Speaker.

There was no change in the decision to arrest and send the two editors to prison. The Speaker had been briefed about the meeting for further action. "I cannot share the statements of three officials with the media", he added. The editors, however, could breathe easy incase the high court admits their petition against the decision.

Meanwhile, sources in the Chief Minister's office told Deccan Chronicle the state government was helpless and cannot interfere as the decision against two editors-Ravi Belagere and Anil Raj- was recommended by the privileges committee. Besides, the cabinet too would not be in a position to tone down the decision of the privileges committee as it was accepted by legislators on the last day of the monsoon session.