Karnataka High Court refuses to quash FIR against Munirathna for allegedly threatening contractor 

Karnataka High Court rejects MLA Munirathna's petition challenging criminal case registration, citing no delay in complaint lodging.

The High Court of Karnataka has rejected a petition filed by Munirathna, MLA, who had questioned the legality of the registration of a criminal case against him for allegedly threatening and demanding ₹30 lakh from person who has a contract with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike for solid waste disposal.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna refused to accept the contention raised on behalf of Mr. Munirathan that the first information report (FIR) registered in September 2024 was delayed as the allegations were related to 2019. The court said there was no delay in lodging complaint as the alleged incidents were continuous ones between July 5, 2019 and August 2024.

On the other contention raised on behalf of Mr. Munirathna that Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had no legal sanctity to conduct the probe as it contained officers from outside the CID, the court said the SIT had no legal flaw as it was headed by the Additional Director-General of Police (COD).

The court also said that merely because a Government Order, constituting the SIT of the CID, has a clause asking submission of the probe report to the government would not mean that the probe would get vitiated as the CID has already been declared as a police station empowering it to file investigation reports before the jurisdictional court.

Cheluvaraju, the contractor, had alleged that Mr. Munirathna had threatened, abused, and humiliated him and used casteist slurs while demanding the bribe. The complainant-contractor, among other things, has cited a recorded telephonic conversation in the complaint.