HC grants 4 weeks interim stay of lok court order in NICE case

Justice H Billappa granted stay of the order passed on October 25 ordering probe into the complaint under CrPC and also attachment of properties of some persons named in it.

After the complainant T J Abraham concluded his arguments on the writ petitions filed by the NICE and its sister concerns seeking stay of the order, senior counsel for NICE, C V Nagesh said the Lokayukta court had issued show cause to NICE, NECEL today morning asking the firms as to why the attachment order should not be made final and directed the firms to furnish their replies by December 14.

Taking serious objection to this, the court sought to know while the matter was being heard, how subsequent orders can be passed.

The court further observed that it should have given an interim order of stay earlier but since it wanted to hear the case and decide the matter finally, it did not grant the stay.

The court then granted four weeks interim stay and adjourned the matter to tomorrow for further hearing.

On October 25, the Lokayukta Court ordered probe against three former chief ministers -- H D Deve Gowda, S M Krishna and B S Yeddyurappa and 27 others in connection with the alleged corruption and illegalities in the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project, awarded to NICE and its sister companies,when Gowda was the Chief Minister.