Mysore/Mysuru: The stay order granted by the Principal District and Sessions Court for the demolition of the portion of the building next to the house of former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Officer R.N. Kulkarni in Sharadadevinagar, has been extended till Jan. 4, 2023, said Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy. The Court had earlier stayed the demolition until the next hearing on Dec. 14, 2022 and yesterday, the Court has further extended the stay order period.

This illegal portion of the building had become the motive for the murder of the former IB Officer R.N. Kulkarni, according to Police. The former IB Officer was fatally knocked down by a car when he was on his routine evening stroll in Manasagangothri campus at about 5.45 pm on Nov. 4 by his (Kulkarni) neighbour Madappa’s younger son Manu (prime accused) with help from his friend Varun Gowda. The two accused were arrested by the Police three days after the incident. On Dec. 7, the Principal District and Sessions Court had rejected the bail application of 29-year-old Varun Gowda, who has been named as the second accused in the murder case.

On Nov. 15 evening, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) staff, equipped with machinery, had gone to the spot to pull down the illegal portion of Madappa’s house after the 24-hour ultimatum served by the civic body ended. The MCC staff were about to commence the demolition works using a concrete cutting machine when Madappa’s Advocate Prasad told them that the Court had issued a stay.

When the MCC officers sought the physical order of the Court stay, the advocate failed to produce it and as such, the authorities went ahead with their demolition work. However, soon, the physical copy of the stay order granted by the Principal District and Sessions Court was produced. The stay order dated Nov. 14 said that the impugned final order No. 03/14/19-20, is stayed till the next date of hearing  (Dec. 14, 2022). The MCC officers later left the spot.

The Court, which took up the hearing yesterday, extended the stay order period by 21 days.