Bengaluru, 21 Feb

Following protests by advocates in Ramanagara district and the Opposition BJP in the Legislative Assembly, the Karnataka government on Wednesday decided to suspend a Sub-Inspector, over an FIR filed against 40 lawyers.

Making this announcement in the Assembly, Home Minister G Parameshwara also promised strict action against a person behind the alleged derogatory post against a Varanasi judge, who delivered the judgment in the Gyanvapi mosque case, while calling the accused ''a habitual offender.'' Police had earlier arrested Chand Pasha, an advocate, following a complaint against him for his alleged derogatory post targeting a judge in Varanasi, which had led to a clash between two groups of advocates in Ramanagara last week.

The police also filed an FIR against 40 advocates based on a counter-complaint. A group of advocates have staged a protest demanding quashing of the FIR against 40 advocates, and also suspension of Sub-Inspector Tanveer Hussain of Ijoor station, who booked the case.

The issue had also led to a war of words in the Assembly on Tuesday, with the BJP members staging a protest by trooping into the well of the House, demanding the suspension of the Sub-Inspector and strict action against Chand Pasha, who made the post. ''Yesterday (On Tuesday) there was a discussion in the House regarding an incident in Ramanagara to which I had replied sharing some information, but the Leader of Opposition (R Ashoka) and members had said the answer is not proper and that the official -- the Sub-Inspector -- has committed a mistake, his conduct was not right and he has shown discrimination in filing FIR. They had also demanded his suspension,'' Parameshwara said in the Assembly on Wednesday as the House met for the day.

Stating that advocates in Ramanagara have also demanded the resignation of that official, and they have also planned to stage a protest in Bengaluru, he said, ''So the government has come to a decision to suspend that official Tanveer Hussain, who is a Sub-Inspector. Already an inquiry has been ordered and the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Channapatna has started the inquiry and the suspension will also help the inquiry.'' The Home Minister further said, it has been decided to take strict action against Advocate Chand Pasha, who is said to be the main reason for all this.

''He (Pasha) is an habitual offender. There is information about his involvement in such activities in the past. So we will take strict action against him,'' he added.