Petitioner sought quashing of a charge-sheeted crime over a loan dispute, alleging the complainant improved her version after an initial non-cognizable report. The court found allegations of abuse, dragging and assault prima facie constituted outraging modesty and rejected the petition.
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
NC: 2024:KHC:37106 CRL.P No. 12170 of 2023
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
DATED THIS THE 11TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2024
BEFORE
THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 12170 OF 2023
BETWEEN:
SRI. VENKATESHA, S/O KRISHNA SHETTY, AGED ABOUT 35 YEARS, R/AT THUMBADEVARAHALLY VILLAGE, AREHALLY HOBLI, BELURU TALUK, HASSAN DISTRICT – 573 101.
…PETITIONER
(BY SRI. G.J. CHANDRA., ADVOCATE)
AND:
Digitally signed by KAVYA G Location: High Court of Karnataka
REPRESENTED BY HIGH COURT GOVERNMENT PLEADER, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BENGALURU – 560 001.
NC: 2024:KHC:37106 CRL.P No. 12170 of 2023
BELURU TALUK, HASSAN DISTRICT – 573 101.
…RESPONDENTS
(BY SRI.THEJESH P., HCGP FOR R1)
THIS CRL.P. IS FILED U/S.482 OF CR.P.C., PRAYING TO QUASH THE ENTIRE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CR.NO.54/2023 REGISTERED BY THE AREHALLI POLICE FOR THE OFFENCE P/U/S 504, 323, 354 AND 506 OF IPC, NOW PENDING ON THE FILE OF CIVIL JUDGE (JR.DN.) AND J.M.F.C., BELURU IN C.C.NO.651/2023.
THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:
CORAM: HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA
ORAL ORDER
The petitioner is before this Court calling in question the registration of a crime in Crime No.54/2023 registered for offences punishable under Sections 504, 323, 354 and 506 and the proceedings in C.C.No.651/2023.
NC: 2024:KHC:37106 CRL.P No. 12170 of 2023
3. Facts in brief, germane, are as follows:
The petitioner and respondent No.2 are said to have had a loan transaction. On 03.07.2023, a crime comes to be registered in Crime No.54/2023 alleging that six days prior to the registration of the crime, the petitioner had threatened the complainant when she had asked the return of the loan, not only threatened, but also had outraged the modesty of the complainant. Therefore, the complaint comes to be registered. The police after investigation file a charge sheet. Filing of the charge sheet is what has driven the petitioner to this Court in the subject petition.
submissions to contend that this fact is also taken note of while filing the charge sheet and the offence is clearly made out while filing the charge sheet by the jurisdictional police.
afore-narrated facts are matter of record qua the transaction between the petitioner and the complainant. The complainant seeks to register a complaint on 06.07.2023, which is rendered a non-cognizable report, by observing as follows:
CfðzÁgÀjAzÀ PÉÆgÀ®UÀzÉÝ UÁæªÀÄzÀ ªÉAPÀmÉñï JA§ÄªÀªÀgÀÄ ºÀtªÀ£ÀÄß ¸Á®ªÁV ¥ÀqÉ¢zÀÄÝ CfðzÁgÀgÀÄ ¢£ÁAPÀ 03/07/2023 gÀAzÀÄ ¸Á®ªÁV ¥ÀqÉzÀ ºÀtªÀ£ÀÄß ªÁ¥Á¸ÀÄ PÉÆqÀĪÀAvÉ PÉýzÁUÀ ªÉAPÀmÉñÀ CfðzÁgÀjUÉ ¨Á¬ÄUÉ §AzÀAvÉ ¨ÉÊzÀÄ UÀ¯ÁmÉ ªÀiÁrzÀÄÝ FvÀ£À ªÉÄÃ¯É PÀæªÀÄ PÉÊUÉƼÀÄîªÀAvÉ ¤ÃrzÀ zÀÄgÀÄ."
the petitioner and the complainant and a non-cognizable report
was rendered. The complainant then registers a detailed
NC: 2024:KHC:37106 CRL.P No. 12170 of 2023
complaint before the very same police station. The complaint registered on the second occasion reads as follows:
"gÀªÀjUÉ oÁuÁ¢üPÁjAiÀĪÀgÀÄ, CgÉúÀ½î ¥ÉÆðøï oÁuÉ, ¨ÉîÆgÀÄ vÁ®ÆèPÀÄ,
EAzÀ ±ÁgÀzÀªÀÄä w/o ¸ÀħæºÀätå, 56 ªÀµÀð, ªÀPÀÌ°UÀ d£ÁAUÀ, PÀÆ° PÉ®¸À, vÀÄA¨sÀzÉêÀ£ÀºÀ½î UÁæªÀÄ, DgÉúÀ½î ºÉÆç½, ¨ÉîÆgÀÄ vÁ®ÆèPÀÄ, zÀÆgÀªÁt ¸ÀASÉå: 9900694782 ¸Áé«Ä,
£Á£ÀÄ ªÉÄîÌAqÀ «¼Á¸ÀzÀ°è ªÁ¸ÀªÁVgÀÄvÉÛãÉ, £Á£ÀÄ FUÉÎ ¸ÀĪÀiÁgÀÄ JgÀqÀÄ ªÀµÀðUÀ¼À »AzÉ £ÀªÀÄä UÁæªÀÄzÀ ¸ÀĤïï JA§ÄªÀªÀgÀÄ £À¤ßAzÀ 50,000 gÀÆ¥Á¬ÄUÀ¼À£ÀÄß ¸Á®ªÁ£ÀÄß PÉÆr¹gÀÄvÁÛgÉ, £ÀAvÀgÀ ªÉAPÀmÉñï FUÉÎ ¸ÀĪÀiÁgÀÄ ¢£ÀUÀ¼À »AzÉ ¥ÀqÉzÀ 50,000 gÀÆ¥Á¬ÄUÀ¼À£ÀÄß ªÁ¥Á¸ÀÄì PÉÆnÖgÀÄvÁÛ£É. DzÀgÉ £Á£ÀÄ ªÀÄ»¼Á ¸ÀAWÀ¢AzÀ §rØ ¸Á®ªÀ£ÀÄß vÉUÉzÀÄPÉÆArzÀÝjAzÀ ¸ÀAWÀzÀ §rØAiÀÄ£ÀÄß PÉÆqÀĪÀAvÉ PÉüÀÄwÛzÉÝ£ÀÄ, DzÀgÉ ¸ÀzÀj §rØAiÀÄ ºÀtªÀ£ÀÄß ªÉAPÀmÉñï PÉÆnÖgÀĪÀÅ¢®è, ¢£ÁAPÀ 03.07.2023 gÀAzÀÄ ¸ÀAeÉ ¸ÀĪÀiÁgÀÄ 6:00 UÀAmÉAiÀÄ°è £Á£ÀÄ £ÀªÀÄä UÁæªÀÄzÀ gÀ¸ÉÛAiÀÄ°è §gÀÄwÛgÀĪÁUÀ ªÉAPÀmÉñÀ £À£ÀߣÀÄß GzÉÝò¹ ¤Ã£ÀÄ £À£Àß ºÀwÛgÀ ºÁ¢ ©¢AiÀÄ°è ºÀtªÀ£ÀÄß PÉý £À£Àß ªÀÄAiÀiÁðzÉ vÉVAiÀÄÄwÛÃAiÀÄ ¸ÀƼÉà ªÀÄÄAqÉÀ, ¨ÉêÀ¶ð ªÀÄÄAqÉ JAzÀÄ ¨ÉÊzÀÄ, PÉʬÄAzÀ £À£Àß vÀ¯É ºÉÆqÉzÁUÀ £Á£ÀÄ PÉüÀPÉÌ ©zÀÄÝ ªÀÄvÉÛ ªÉÄîPÉÌ JzÁåUÀ ¥ÀÄ£ÀB PÉʬÄAzÀ £À£Àß JzÉAiÀÄ ¨sÁUÀPÉÌ UÀÄ¢Ý ªÉÄÊ PÉÊUÉ PÉʬÄAzÀ ºÉÆqÉzÀ£ÀÄ £ÀAvÀgÀ F UÀ¯ÁmÉAiÀÄ£ÀÄß C¯Éèà EzÀÝ UÁæªÀÄzÀ gÀ«AiÀĪÀgÀ ªÀÄUÀ ªÀÄvÀÄÛ £À£ÀßUÀAqÀ ¸ÀħæºÀätÂå ©r¹zÀgÀÄ, £ÀAvÀgÀ ªÉAPÀmÉñÀ ¤£ÀߣÀÄß ©qÀĪÀÅ¢®è PÉÆ¯É ªÀiÁqÀĪÀÅzÁV PÉÆ¯É ¨ÉzÀjPÉ ºÁQ ºÉÆÃzÀ£ÀÄ, ¥ÉmÁÖVzÀÝ £Á£ÀÄ AiÀiÁªÀÅzÉÆà ªÁºÀ£ÀzÀ°è CgÉúÀ½î ¸ÀPÁðj D¸ÀàvÉæ ºÉÆÃV aQvÉì ¥ÀqÉzÀÄ F ¢£À vÀqÀªÁV CgÉúÀ½î ¥ÉÆðøï oÁuÉUÉ §AzÀÄ £À£Àß ªÉÄÃ¯É ºÀ¯Éè ªÀiÁrzÀ ªÉAPÀmɸÀ£À ªÉÄÃ¯É PÁ£ÀÆ£ÀÄ PÀæªÀÄ PÉÊUÉƼÀî¨ÉÃPÉAzÀÄ zÀÆgÀÄ ¤ÃrgÀÄvÉÛãÉ.
¢£ÁAPÀ 09.07.2023 gÀAzÀÄ ªÀÄzÁåºÀß 2 UÀAmÉUÉ ¦AiÀiÁð¢AiÀĪÀgÀÄ oÁuÉUÉ ºÁdgÁV ¤ÃrzÀ °TvÀ zÀÆgÀ£ÀÄß ¹ÃéPÀj¹. oÁuÁ ªÉÆ. £ÀA 54/23 PÀ®A 504,323,354,506, IPC jvÁå PÉøÀÄ zÁR°¹gÀÄvÉÛ."
NC: 2024:KHC:37106 CRL.P No. 12170 of 2023
the entire story and the police after investigation have filed a charge sheet. The summary of the charge sheet as obtaining in Column No.17, reads as follows:
" 17. PÉù£À ¸ÀAQë¥ÀvÀæ ¸ÁgÁA±À
F PÉùUÉ ¸ÁgÁA±ÀªÉ£ÉAzÀgÉ F ¥ÀæPÀgÀtzÀ DgÉƦUÉ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄ UÁæªÀÄzÀ ¸ÀAWÀ¢AzÀ 50,000/- gÀÆ¥Á¬Ä ¸Á®ªÀ£ÀÄß §rØUÁV PÉÆr¹zÀÄÝ, DgÉÆæAiÀÄÄ 50,000/- gÀÆ¥Á¬Ä ¸Á®ªÀ£ÀÄß ªÁ¥Á¸ÀÄ ¤ÃrzÀÄÝ, §rØAiÀÄ£ÀÄß PÉÆqÀĪÀAvÉ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄ DgÉÆæAiÀÄ£ÀÄß DUÁUÀ PÉüÀÄwgÀÄvÁÛgÉAzÀ,
¢£ÁAPÀ 03/07/2023 gÀAzÀÄ ¸ÀAeÉ 6:00 UÀAmÉAiÀÄ°è oÁuÁ ¸ÀgÀºÀ¢Ý£À vÀÄA§ÄzÉêÀ£ÀºÀ½îAiÀÄ°è ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄ PÁ®A £ÀA§gï - 12gÀ°è PÀÆqÀ DgÉÆæAiÀÄ ªÀÄ£ÉAiÀÄ ªÀÄÄA¢£À gÀ¸ÉÛAiÀÄ°è ºÉÆÃUÀÄwÛgÀĪÁUÀ DgÉÆæAiÀÄÄ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀ£ÀÄß GzÉÝò¹ ¤Ã£ÀÄ ºÁ¢ ©Ã¢AiÀÄ°è £À£Àß §½ ºÀt PÉý £À£Àß ªÀiÁ£À ªÀÄAiÀiÁðzÉ vÉUÉAiÀÄÄwÛÃAiÀÄ ¸ÀƼÉà ªÀÄÄAqÉ ¨ÉêÀ¹ð ªÀÄÄAqÉ JAzÀÄ CªÁZÀåªÁV ¨ÉÊzÀÄ PÉʬÄAzÀ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀ vÀ¯É ºÉÆqÉzÀÄ ªÀÄvÀÄÛ PÉÊUÀ½AzÀ ªÉÄÊ PÉÊUÉ ºÉÆqÉzÀÄ JzÉUÉ ºÀÄ¢Ý £ÉÆêÀÅAlÄ ªÀiÁr ¸ÁªÀiÁ£Àå ¸ÀégÀÆ¥ÀzÀ UÁAiÀÄ¥Àr¹zÀÄÝ, DgÉƦAiÀÄÄ ªÀÄ»¼ÉUÉ C¥ÀªÀiÁ£ÀªÁUÀĪÀAvÉ ºÉÆqÉzÀÄ ¸ÁQë-1 gÀªÀgÀÄUÀ½UÉ PÉƯɪÀiÁqÀzÉ ©qÀĪÀÅ¢®è CAvÁ PÉÆ¯É ¨ÉzÀjUÉ ºÁQgÀÄvÁÛgÉAzÀÄ aQvÉì ¤ÃrgÀĪÀ ªÉÊzÀågÀÄ ¤ÃrgÀĪÀ UÁAiÀÄzÀÈrÃPÀgÀt ¥ÀvÀæ¢AzÀ®Æ, ¸ÁPÁëzÁgÀUÀ½AzÀ®Æ ºÁUÁ vÀ¤SɬÄAzÀ®Æ DgÉÆÃ¥À zÀÈqsÀ¥ÀnÖgÀÄvÉÛ.
DzÀÝjAzÀ DgÉƦAiÀÄ «gÀÄzÀÞ ªÉÄîÌAqÀ PÀ®A jvÀå zÉÆõÁgÉÆÃ¥ÀuÁ ¥ÀvÀæ."
NC: 2024:KHC:37106 CRL.P No. 12170 of 2023
and for the petitioner to come out clean.
Ordered accordingly.
Sd/(M.NAGAPRASANNA) JUDGE
SJK
List No.: 1 Sl No.: 8
1 issue framed by the court
Whether proceedings in Crime No.54/2023 under Sections 504, 323, 354 and 506 IPC should be quashed given the alleged improvement of the complaint after an initial non-cognizable report.
2 provisions across 2 enactments
Sri. Venkatesha, S/o Krishna Shetty
State of Karnataka, by Arehally Police Station
Smt. Shardamma, W/o Subrahmanya
M.Nagaprasanna
As recorded by the court registry
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