'Karnataka DGP Bidari worse than Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein'

New Delhi, Mar 31: In a matter of utter shame to both the police force and the state of Karnataka, the Karnataka High Court upheld the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order and quashed the appointment of Shankar Mahadev Bidari as Director-General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP).

Raining criticism on Bidari, the court commented that he was 'worse than Saddam Hussein or Muammar Gaddafi' for alleged atrocities committed by the Special Task Force (STF). Bidari was leading the STF during the manhunt to nab dacoit Veerappan.

Dismissing the petitions filed by both Bidari and the government challenging the CAT order, the court said that it was "without merit and substance". The Division Bench comprising Justices N Kumar and HS Kempanna upheld the tribunal’s direction to quash the appointment.

In Bidari's affidavit, he had stated, "I was not omnipotent and omniscient like Commander Colonel Mohammed Gaddafi of Libya and President Saddam Hussain of Iraq.” The cort commenting on this said, "Though he was not one of them, if what the two women (tribals) have said in their affidavit is true, he is worse than them (Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi)."

The court directed Bidari to relieve him of his duties and appoint AR Infant in his place and stated, "Otherwise they are answerable to the public of the state".

Bidari was accused of his role as STF chief in nabbing Veerappan that saw him to be committing grave human rights violations on tribals that saw the death of 66 people of which 36 people died in a suspicious manner. Most of those dead were innocent tribals, women and coolies.

The National Human Rights Commission also accused Bidari of atrocities on women based on the affidavit of two tribal women, Erammal and Nagi. The affidavit of the two women showed the gravity of the atrocities that were carried out on them in the behest of Bidari.

OneIndia News