HC admits plea for Rs 1.5 crore compensation from state

BANGALORE: Justice N Kumar of theKarnataka High Court has admitted separate petitions seeking compensation of Rs1.5 crore from the state and three police officers - Gopal B Hosur, C Mohan andSyed Jagarkal - for foisting a case under the Narcotics and PsychotropicSubstances (NDPS) Act against two businessmen and a CBI inquiry against theofficers, into the alleged charges.The court ordered issuance ofnotices to the state government and police officers following petitions filed byGold Coins Hotels and Resorts (formerly Chaa-Che Hotels) represented by itsChairman, B T Dayanand Reddy and its executive directors, Chetan P. Tayal andMahesh Kumar Tayal.The petitioners contended that on September 14,2001, the then jurisdictional ACP, C. Mohan along with his staff had raidedtheir hotel on Residency Road and claimed that they had seized packets of`charas'' and counterfeit currency.While Mahesh Kumar was arrestedand released, Chetan was granted anticipatory bail. The Ashoknagar policechargesheeted the duo under the NDPS Act. A Special Court which tried theaccused, summoned reports from the Narcotics Control Bureau and the City PoliceCommissioner. The court however discharged them, upholding their contention thatthe contraband and counterfeit currency were implanted by the police on thebehest of their rivals with the intention to grab their property. The Specialjudge also indicted the respondents - then DCP (Central) Gopal B. Hosur, ACPMohan and Ashok Nagar Inspector Syed Jagarkal that they had connived withcounter parties of the petitioners with the intention of usurping possession ofa certain portion of Chaa-Che Towers, the petitioners stated.Thepetitioners also contended that one L Chaturbhuj forged signatures of Chetan andhis wife, and executed a lease deed of the premises at Chaa-Che Towers for aconsideration of Rs 2 crore. Chaturbhuj in turn leased the property to oneMohammed Nissar who trespassed into the premises. The jurisdiction police hadfailed to act despite several complaints from thepetitioners.Inquiries ordered by the Union Home Ministry wereconducted by senior police officers - Additional Commissioner of Police, M.N.Reddi and DCP (Crime) pointed out to the involvement of the respondent policeofficers, the petitioners stated.The Court has admitted thepetitions seeking compensation of Rs 1.5 crore and a CBI inquiry into the entireepisode, and ordered issuance of notices to respondents.