Karnataka High Court Blocks Bid to Withdraw 52 Cases Against Pro-Kannada Groups, Dalit Activists

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday stayed a government directive that sought to withdraw 52 criminal cases against pro-Kannada organisations and Dalit activists. The interim order came during a hearing on a petition filed by advocate Girish Bharadwaj.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha ruled that the government order dated May 27, 2026, could not be implemented until the court had examined its legality. The bench noted that the petitioner's counsel argued the order contradicted an earlier High Court decision that had quashed a similar government order from 2024.

“You cannot do it till you answer the question raised before the court and until we have decided the issue,” the bench orally told the state government. The court directed the government to file its objections within two weeks.

The government order had directed public prosecutors to withdraw cases pending against members of pro-Kannada groups and Dalit activists. The High Court's stay effectively halts the withdrawal of these cases until further orders.