Second judge withdraws from hearing NICE case

Justice H S Kempanna of Karnataka High Court today recused himself from hearing petitions filed by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise and its sister concerns seeking quashing of Lokayukta directive for probe into alleged irregularities in Bangalore-Mysore Express Highway Project.
The judge recused himself from hearing the writ petitions as he is one of the accused in the complaint filed by social activist T J Abraham with the Lokayukta on which the probe was ordered.
The court has now referred the matter to be placed before the Chief Justice to assign it to an appropriate bench.
On March 27, the earlier Judge Justice H Billappa had also recused himself from hearing the matter after the Abraham filed a memo stating he would not argue the matter before him as he was "not receptive".

In its October 25 order last year, the Lokayukta court had ordered a probe into the complaint by Abraham under section 156(3)CrPC and also attachment of some properties of the accused.