The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday quashed the order of a magistrate to register a first information report (FIR) against Police Commissioner Kamal Pant, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M.N. Anucheth, and Cubbon Park Police Inspector Maruti B. for allegedly delaying registration of FIR in the CD scandal episode allegedly involving former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi.
The High Court also quashed the private complaint, lodged by one Adarsh R. Iyer, based on which the VIII Additional Metropolitan Magistrate, Bengaluru city on November 23 had ordered registration of FIR against them.
Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar passed the order while allowing the petition filed by the three officers.
Noticing that the police had initiated a preliminary inquiry based on a complaint by Dinesh Kallahalli, a social activist, the High Court also observed that facts such as filing of complaint by victim-woman herself, order of a Division Bench of the High Court against filing the final investigation report before the jurisdictional court were not brought to the notice of the magistrate by the complainant.
The police officers had explained in their petition that they had not disobeyed the law in not registering FIR based on Mr. Kallahalli’s complaint while pointing out that preliminary inquiry was carried out by the police as per the apex court’s guidelines by treating Mr. Kallahalli’s complaint as a petition as it lacked sufficient information to register an FIR.
Published - December 15, 2021 02:27 am IST
