Karnataka High Court Orders Judicial Inquiry into Police Encounter of Migrant Labourer

The Karnataka High Court has ordered an independent judicial magistrate inquiry into the alleged police encounter of Ritesh Kumar, a migrant labourer from Bihar accused of raping and killing a minor girl in Hubballi last year. The court directed the inquiry report by June, following a petition by the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). While the Karnataka CID is investigating, the court noted that any procedural gaps could lead to a Central agency probe. The government opposed naming police officers in an FIR but agreed to the judicial inquiry.