Bengaluru: In a major relief for Ramanagara MLA H.A. Iqbal Hussain, the Karnataka High Court has stayed the trial proceedings against him in a 19-year-old forest land encroachment case.

Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar’s single-judge bench passed the interim order on Hussain’s plea seeking to quash the FIR filed in 2006 and the subsequent trial that began this year in the Special Court for People’s Representatives.

The case dates back to 2006 when the then Kanakapura Range Forest Officer filed an FIR alleging that Hussain had encroached forest land. However, the MLA’s counsel argued that the case had remained inactive for nearly two decades with no progress, only to be suddenly revived after Hussain won the 2023 Assembly election from Ramanagara.

During the hearing, Hussain’s lawyers told the court that the allegations were baseless and that the sudden transfer of the case to the Special Court for trial after so many years smacked of political vendetta. They argued that the revival of an old, dormant case soon after Hussain assumed office was malicious in nature and prayed for the entire trial process to be scrapped.

Hearing the submissions, Justice Krishna Kumar stayed further trial proceedings before the Special Court. The bench also issued a notice to the Kanakapura Range Forest Officer, who is the respondent in the case, and adjourned the matter for the next hearing on August 28.

The development comes as a temporary reprieve for Hussain, who had moved the High Court soon after the Special Court began proceedings earlier this year.

The case has triggered sharp reactions in political circles as Hussain’s supporters allege that old cases are being dug up to target him for political reasons.

For now, the High Court’s interim stay order means that the special court cannot proceed with the encroachment trial until further orders. All eyes will now be on the next hearing where the forest department is expected to respond to the MLA’s plea seeking quashing of the original FIR itself.