Disposed¶49

Mr T Nagaraj v. the State of Karnataka

Karnataka HC25 Mar 2026CRL.P/2738/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Expedition of trial; S.C.No.673/2022; Crime No.172/2020; Jagajeevanram Police Station; Sections 323, 504, 354, 306 r/w 34 IPC; abetment of wife's suicide; trial languishing four years; delay due to absence of regular Public Prosecutor; direction to State to rectify non-appointment of Public Prosecutor; six-month outer limit to dispose proceedings; 45th Addl. City Civil & Sessions Judge Bengaluru; S.482 CrPC / S.528 BNSS; High Court of Karnataka; Justice M. Nagaprasanna; petition disposed.

What did the court decide?

Directions issued: the State to forthwith rectify the absence of a regular Public Prosecutor before the courts hearing these criminal cases, and the concerned trial court to dispose of the proceedings in S.C.No.673/2022 within an outer limit of six months from receipt of a copy of the order. ¶49

Mr T Nagaraj Vs the State of Karnataka — Karnataka HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether the Court should direct the 45th Addl. City Civil & Sessions Judge, Bengaluru to expedite the proceedings and conclude the trial pending in S.C.No.673/2022 in a time-bound manner (petitioner prayed for conclusion preferably within one year).

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Court's answer

The State shall forthwith take steps to rectify the problem of a regular Public Prosecutor not being present before the Courts hearing these criminal cases, particularly the trial court concerned.

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Ratio / Principle

The concerned Court is directed to dispose of the proceedings within an outer limit of six (6) months, if not earlier, from the date of receipt of a copy of the order.

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Key takeaways

The State's failure to appoint a regular Public Prosecutor to the particular Court, thereby delaying the proceedings, reflects a very sorry state of affairs.obiter¶42

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Criminal petition under S.482 CrPC (noted as also filed under S.528 BNSS) by the complainant seeking expedition of the trial pending in S.C.No.673/2022 before the 45th Addl. City Civil & Sessions Judge, Bengaluru, arising out of Crime No.172/2020 of Jagajeevanram Police Station (offences under Sections 323, 504, 354, 306 r/w 34 IPC, concerning the suicide of the petitioner's wife allegedly abetted by respondent Nos. 2, 3 and 4). The trial had languished for four years for want of a regular Public Prosecutor. Observing that the State's failure to appoint a Public Prosecutor was delaying proceedings, the Court directed the State to forthwith rectify the problem and directed the concerned Court to dispose of the proceedings within an outer limit of six months from receipt of a copy of the order. Petition disposed.

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NC: 2026:KHC:16919 CRL.P No. 2738 of 2026

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HC-KAR

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 25^TH DAY OF MARCH, 2026

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BEFORE

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THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 2738 OF 2026

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BETWEEN:

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MR T NAGARAJ S/O THANIGACHALAM AGED ABOUT 53 YEARS, PRESENTLY R/AT NO. 21/1 2^ND CROSS, APS METAL WORKS MYSORE ROAD, OLD TOLLGATE BANGALORE SOUTH GOVERNEMENT ELECTRIC FACTORY BENGALURU - 560 026

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…PETITIONER

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Digitally signed by SANJEEVINI J KARISHETTY Location: High Court of Karnataka

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(BY SRI. CHETAN V. VISHNUMURTHY, ADVOCATE)

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AND:

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THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY JAGAJEEVANRAM POLICE STATION REP BY SPP, HIGH COURT OF KANRATKAA BENGALURU - 560 001

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2 - NC: 2026:KHC:16919 CRL.P No. 2738 of 2026

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HC-KAR

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MR. DHANANJAYA M. S/O MANOHAR K. AGED ABOUT 37 YEARS, HALEGUDDADHALLI PADARAYANAPURA OLD TOLLGATE BUS STOP, BANGALORE SOUTH, GOVERNMENT ELECTRIC FACTORY, BANGALORE - 560 026

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MR. UPENDRA KUMAR S/O MANOHAR K., AGED ABOUT 39 YEARS, HALEGUDDADAHALLI PADARAYANAPURA, OLD TOLLGATE BUS STOP, BANGALORE SOUTH, GOVERNMENT ELECTRIC FACTORY, BANGALORE - 560 026

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MR. GANESH S/O MANOHAR K., AGED ABOUT 26 YEARS, HALEGUDDAHALLI PADARAYANAPURA, OLD TOLLGATE BUS STOP, BANGALORE SOUTH, GOVERNMENT ELECTRIC FACTORY, BANGALORE - 560 026

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MR. SANTOSH S/O VELAPPAN AGED ABOUT 27 YEARS, HALEGUDDADAHALLI PADARAYANAPURA,

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NC: 2026:KHC:16919 CRL.P No. 2738 of 2026

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HC-KAR

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OLD TOLLGATE BUS STOP, BANGALORE SOUTH, GOVERNMENT ELECTRIC FACTORY, BANGALORE - 560 026

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…RESPONDENTS

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(BY SRI. B.N. JAGADEESHA, ADDL. SPP FOR R1)

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THIS CRL.P FILED U/S.482(FILED U/S.528 BNSS) CR.P.C BY THE ADVOCATE FOR THE PETITIONER PRAYING THAT THIS HONOURABLE COURT MAY BE PLEASED TO ALLOW THIS PETITION AND ISSUE A DIRECTION TO THE LEARNED 45TH

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ADDL CITY CIVIL AND SESSIONS JUDGE, BENGALURU TO EXPEDITE THE PROCEEDINGS AND TO CONCLUDE THE TRIAL IN A TIME BOUND MANNER, PREFERABLY WITHIN A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR WHICH IS PENDING IN S.C.NO.673/2022 FOR THE OFFENCE P/S/ 323, 504, 354, 306 R/W SEC.34 OF IPC ARISING OUT OF CRIME NO.172/2020 REGISTERED BY THE JAGAJEEVANRAM POLICE STATION.

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

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NC: 2026:KHC:16919 CRL.P No. 2738 of 2026

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HC-KAR

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CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA

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ORAL ORDER

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The petitioner is before this Court, seeking the following

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prayer:

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"WHEREFORE, the petitioner most humbly prays that this Hon'ble Court may be pleased to allow this petition and issue a direction to the Learned 45^th Addl. City Civil & Sessions Judge, Bengaluru to expedite the proceedings and to conclude the trial in a time-bound manner, preferably within a period of one year which is pending in S.C.No.673/2022, for the offences punishable under Sections.323, 504, 354, 306 r/w 34 of the IPC arising out of Crime No.172/2020 registered by the Jagajeevanram Police Station in the ends of justice."

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Heard Sri. Chetan V. Vishnumurthy, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, Sri. B.N. Jagadeesha, learned Addl. SPP appearing for respondent No.1 and have perused the material on record.

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The petitioner is the complainant registers a complaint on the wife committing suicide against the accused who are respondent Nos. 2, 3 and 4, that they have abetted

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5 - NC: 2026:KHC:16919 CRL.P No. 2738 of 2026

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HC-KAR

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such suicide. The crime is registered. The matter is committed to the Court of Session in S.C.No.673 of 2022. It is languishing in the said Court for the last 4 years for the reason that there is no regular Public Prosecutor attending the Court.

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If that be so, it cuts a very sorry state of affairs on the part of the State for not having appointed a Public Prosecutor to a particular Court, which is delaying the proceedings.

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Therefore, the State shall forthwith take steps to rectify the problem of regular Public Prosecutor not being present before any Court hearing these criminal cases, particularly of the Court that the petitioner projects in the prayer quoted supra .

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In that light, I deem it appropriate to direct the concerned Court to dispose the proceedings within an outer limit of six (6) months, if not earlier, from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

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NC: 2026:KHC:16919 CRL.P No. 2738 of 2026

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HC-KAR

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With the aforesaid observations, the petition stands

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disposed.

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SD/(M.NAGAPRASANNA) JUDGE

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