SC pulls up Karnataka for seeking Rs 15 lakh for Ma’adani’s escort

Bengaluru, Aug 3: The Supreme Court has pulled up Karnataka government for raising a bill of about Rs 15 lakh for police escort, accompanying Kerala's People Democratic Party leader Abdul Naser Ma’adani on his visit to home state for attending son's marriage.

"Is this the way you carry out the orders of the Supreme Court? Don't scuttle these things. We expect some seriousness on the part of the state," a bench of Justices S A Bobde and L Nageswara Rao told Karnataka standing counsel Joseph Aristotle.

"Why you want to make it impossible," the bench further asked the state.

Advocates Prashant Bhushan and Haris Beeran, representing Maudany, submitted that the apex court's order of July 31 for allowing him to visit Kerala was sought to be frustrated by the state government. They said the state raised a demand of Rs 15 lakh from Maudany for providing him escort during his stay over there from August 2 to 14.

They also questioned huge posse of policemen, 19 in number, in the escort.

Karnataka counsel, for his part, maintained that the amount charged on Ma’adani was as per 1991 circular. He contended that the state had already spent Rs 6 crore on Ma’adani.

The court, however, pointed out these policemen were otherwise being paid salary. The state can only charge to the extent of TA/DA.

The bench granted time till Friday to the state counsel to take instructions on the issue.

During the hearing, the court also came down heavily on Kerala government counsel G Prakash as he expressed readiness of the state to provide security to Ma’adani during his stay.

"You don't have anything to do with it. He is in custody of Karnataka police," the bench told him.

The court had on July 31 allowed Ma’adani to visit his home state to attend his son's wedding. However, it had refused to alter the direction to bear the cost of police escort by him.

51-year-old Ma’adani, facing trial in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts case, challenged the city court's order of July 24, declining him to attend son's marriage functions between August 8 to 20. Though the trial court allowed him to visit his ailing mother between August 1 and 7, it refused the permission to attend the marriage function scheduled on August 9.

The Bengaluru court told him to bear cost of police escort, which, petitioner claimed, would be around Rs 20 lakh.

Ma’adani sought permission to visit Thallasery, Ernakulum and Kollam to attend various functions, ceremonies and reception of his son's wedding.