Karnataka High Court quashed the Appointment of Shankar Bidari as the State DGP

Karnataka high court on 31 March 2012 quashed the appointment of Shankar Bidari as state DGP and IG. The court described the top cop of the state as worse than Saddam Hussain or Muammar Gaddafi for alleged atrocities committed by the Special Task Force (STF) led by him during the hunt to arrest Veerappan.

The high court bench headed by Justice N Kumar held the empanelment of Bidari by UPSC and consequent appointment as "void and illegal. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had already struck down the appointment of Shankar Bidari as the DGP of Karnataka. The state government along with Bidari had appealed against the CAT verdict in the high court.

The court dismissed the petition terming it without merit and substance. The court also directed the state government to appoint AR Irfan in the place of Bidari.

A National Human Rights Commission appointed panel had in its investigation found that the severe atrocities were committed by the STF led by Bidari in the course of arresting Virappan. The panel in its report submitted in January 2007 found STF’s indulgence into severe human rights violation. The National Human Rights Commission following the report, appealed to the CAT to strike down the appointment of Bidari as the top cop of the state. The CATin its ruling dated 16 March 2012 ordered the state government for immediate removal of Bidari from his post. Bidari accompanied by the state government on 20 March 2102 moved to the Karnataka high court against the CAT verdict.