Bengaluru, Aug. 6 -- With public transport services disrupted across Karnataka on Tuesday, the high court issued a stern warning to protesting transport employees, criticising the continuation of their agitation despite a court directive and the invocation of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). The court's strong response prompted the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Staff and Workers' Federation to suspend the strike until Thursday, when the matter is scheduled to be heard again.

A division bench of chief justice Vibhu Bakhru and justice CM Joshi, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), expressed serious displeasure over the trade unions' defiance of its interim order. The judges made it clear that...