The Karnataka High Court asked the State government to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the appointment of retired judicial officer CG Hungund as a judicial member of the Karnataka Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Special Court.
The court issued notice to the respondents and the registrar of the Special Court, as well as Hungund, whose appointment under the Karnataka Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act of 2011 has been challenged. The PIL claimed that Hungund served as a member of the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission for five years between 2012 and 2017, making him ineligible to hold any office under the Central or State government.
The PIL accused the State government of ignoring the mandate of the statutory prohibition and alleged that the appointment is purely illegal, arbitrary, and politically motivated. The PIL argued that appointments to judicial posts must be strictly in adherence with law, as the discharge of judicial function by judicial members is crucial for maintaining rule of law and administration of justice.
Written by- Apoorva Chandra Studrnt of Aligarh Muslim University Centre, Malappuram 3rd Sem (An intern under Legal Vidhiya)
