Palleti Prabhakar Reddy Vs State of Karnataka — Karnataka HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Palleti Prabhakar Reddy Vs State of Karnataka — Karnataka HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Proceedings in Spl.C.No.962/2025 pending on the file of the LXX Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge & Special Judge, Bengaluru (CCH-71), for offences under Sections 64, 318(4), 351 and 352 BNS 2023 and Sections 3(1)(s), 3(1)(w) and 3(2)(v) SC/ST (POA) Act 1989, quashed insofar as the petitioner – accused No.2 is concerned.

Issue for consideration

Whether the proceedings pending against the petitioner (accused No.2) in Special Case No.962/2025 should be quashed, given the amicable settlement, the complainant's no-objection, and the prior quashing of proceedings against prime accused No.1. +1 more

Court's answer

Continuation of the proceedings against the petitioner – accused No.2 in Special Case No.962/2025 pending before the LXX Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge and Special Judge, Bengaluru (CCH-71) would amount to an abuse of process of law and therefore warrants interference by this Court.

Ratio / Principle

Though the offences involved are not compoundable, having regard to the quashing of proceedings against the prime accused and to prevent abuse of the process of law, the Court deemed it a fit case to exercise its inherent jurisdiction under Section 528 BNSS, 2023 to quash the proceedings against the petitioner, who is the father of accused No.1.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Karnataka HC (Sachin Shankar Magadum, J.), order dated 09.01.2026 in CRL.P No. 14332 of 2025: proceedings in Spl.C.No.962/2025 (arising from FIR CR.No.46/2025 dated 05.03.2025, Begur P.S.) before the LXX Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge & Special Judge, Bengaluru (CCH-71), quashed insofar as accused No.2 — the petitioner, father of prime accused No.1 — arraigned for Sections 351 and 352 BNS 2023 and Sections 3(1)(s) and 3(2)(v-a) SC/ST (POA) Act. Proceedings against prime accused No.1 had already been quashed (order dated 12.09.2025 in Crl.P. No.12760/2025); the parties had amicably settled (application under S.359 BNSS seeking leave to compound), and complainant Resp.2 gave a categorical no-objection. Although the offences are not compoundable, the Court held that continuation against accused No.2 would amount to abuse of process and exercised inherent jurisdiction under S.528 BNSS to quash. Petition allowed.

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NC: 2026:KHC:1438 CRL.P No. 14332 of 2025

HC-KAR

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 9^TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2026

BEFORE

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM

CRIMINAL PETITION NO.14332 OF 2025

BETWEEN:

PALLETI PRABHAKAR REDDY S/O LATE CHENNA REDDY AGED ABOUT 65 YEARS R/AT NO.1-5-558, NAGARI GUTTA NEAR RAMALAYAM TEMPLE PULIVENDULA KADAPA ANDHRA PRADESH - 516390

…PETITIONER

(BY SRI.SUBHASH R, ADVOCATE FOR SRI.MANOJ KUMAR J.Y, ADVOCATE)

AND:

STATE OF KARNATAKA BY BEGUR P S,

Digitally signed by AL BHAGYA Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

REP BY SPP HIGH COURT BUILDING BENGALURU - 560001

RUTH HELEN D/O LATE T ERRI SWAMI AGED ABOUT 28 YEARS R/AT NO.824, 6^TH MAIN AECS LAYOUT

B BLOCK BENGALURU - 560018.

…RESPONDENTS

(BY SRI.ANOOP KUMAR, HCGP FOR R.1)

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NC: 2026:KHC:1438 CRL.P No. 14332 of 2025

HC-KAR

THIS CRIMINAL PETITION IS FILED U/SEC.482 CR.PC (FILED U/S 528 BNNS) BY THE ADVOCATE FOR THE PETITIONER PRAYING THAT THIS HONOURABLE COURT MAY BE PLEASED TO QUASH THE FIR BEARING CR.NO.46/2025 DATED 05.03.2025 (ANNEXURE-A) FOR THE OFFENCE P/U/SEC.64, 318(4), 351, 352 OF BNS 2023 AND SEC 3(1)(w) OF SC/ST (POA) ACT 1989 ON THE FILE OF RESPONDENT - POLICE AND ETC.

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR FINAL HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM

ORAL ORDER

The caption petition is filed by the petitioner-accused

No.2 seeking quashing of the proceedings pending in Special Case No.962/2025 pending on the file of LXX Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge and Special Judge at Bengaluru (CCH-71) for the offence punishable under Sections 64, 318(4), 351 and 352 of BNS, 2023 and under Sections 3(1)(s), 3(1)(w), 3(2)(v) of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Today, an application is filed under Section 359 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, reporting

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NC: 2026:KHC:1438 CRL.P No. 14332 of 2025

HC-KAR

that the dispute between the parties has been amicably settled and seeking leave of this Court to compound the offences in the light of the order dated 12.09.2025 passed by this Court in Criminal Petition No.12760/2025.

On perusal of the records, it is evident that the proceedings have already been quashed against the prime accused No.1, against whom the charge-sheet was filed for the offences punishable under Sections 64, 318(4), 351 and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 3(1)(s), 3(1)(r) and 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The present petitioner, who is the father of accused No.1, was arraigned as accused No.2 on account of alleged family disputes. The only allegations against the present petitioner pertain to the offences punishable under

Sections 351 and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 3(1)(s) and 3(2)(v-a) of the Scheduled

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NC: 2026:KHC:1438 CRL.P No. 14332 of 2025

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Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,

Respondent No.2 – the complainant, who is present before this Court, has categorically submitted that in view of the settlement arrived at between the parties and the quashing of the proceedings against the prime accused No.1, she has no objection to the quashing of the proceedings against the present petitioner – accused No.2.

Though the offences involved are not compoundable, having regard to the quashing of proceedings against the prime accused and to prevent abuse of the process of law, this Court is of the considered view that it is a fit case to exercise its inherent jurisdiction under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 to quash the proceedings against the present petitioner, who is the father of accused No.1.

In the above circumstances and particularly in view of the quashing of the proceedings against the prime

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NC: 2026:KHC:1438 CRL.P No. 14332 of 2025

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accused No.1, the continuation of the proceedings against

the present petitioner – accused No.2 in Special Case No.962/2025 pending on the file of the LXX Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge and Special Judge, Bengaluru (CCH-71) would amount to an abuse of process of law and therefore, warrants interference by this Court.

Accordingly, this Court proceeds to pass the following:

ORDER

(i) The petition is allowed.

(ii) The proceedings in Spl.C.No.962/2025, pending on the file of the LXX Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge & Special Judge, Bengaluru (CCH-71), for the offences punishable under Sections 64, 318(4), 351 and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and under Sections 3(1)(s), 3(1)(w) and 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, are hereby quashed insofar

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as the present petitioner – accused No.2 is concerned.

Sd/(SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM) JUDGE

NBM

List No.: 1 Sl No.: 39