The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the Bengaluru Police to explain why a first information report (FIR) was registered earlier this month against former JD(S) Member of Legislative Council (MLC) HM Ramesh Gowda in an alleged case of extortion.
Justice M Nagaprasanna raised the question in light of the fact that the police had initially closed such complaint by filing a "non-cognisable report".
The Court directed the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Amruthahalli police station in Bengaluru to submit a written explanation before the Court by October 29.
Gowda approached the High Court on Wednesday seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him earlier this month following allegations made by realtor Vijay Tata that Gowda and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy threatened him and demanded ₹50 crore from him.
On October 3 this year, the Amruthahalli police station registered an FIR against Gowda and Kumaraswamy following Tata’s complaint.
The FIR names Gowda as the prime accused and Kumaraswamy as the second accused and charges them under Sections 308 (2) and 351 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for the offences of extortion and criminal intimidation, respectively.
Appearing for Gowda, Senior Advocate Prabhuling Navadgi told the Court that while Tata had made a complaint against his client on October 1 this year, the Amruthahalli police station SHO initially closed the complaint by issuing the non-cognisable offence report. Curiously, at around 3 PM on the same day, the same police station went ahead and registered an FIR against Gowda based on the allegations made by Tata in his complaint.
This prompted the Court to seek an explanation from the SHO.
"What is this blowing hot and cold? The complaint registered on 1.10.2024. The police on receipt of the complaint close the case by issuing a non-cognisable report on 3.10.24 The very same day, the very same police registers a crime for the offence of extortion. Therefore, the SHO to explain why the endorsement was issued for a non-cognisable offence but a crime was registered at 3 pm. Explanation be submitted by the next date of hearing," the High Court said.
The State government, meanwhile, told the Court that no precipitative action will be taken based on the said FIR until the next date of hearing.