BENGALURU: Directing the release of the Lamborghini Huracan that was seized by Ranjith N, senior motor vehicle inspector, Bengaluru South, without following due procedure, the Karnataka High Court directed the State government to initiate a departmental inquiry against him for misconduct.
Ranjith had allegedly barged into the car owner’s house when he was out of town, and handed the vehicle to the Yelahanka New Town police station on February 7 for allegedly evading tax.
Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the order recently, partly allowing the petition filed by the car owner, questioning the registration of the crime with Kodigehalli police station.
Also, the court noted that the undertaking furnished by the State Public Prosecutor that those responsible for deletion of data of the vehicle in the Regional Transport Office, should be brought to book and the inquiry report be placed. The court said the action taken by Ranjith has left the procedure stipulated in law topsy-turvy. Such conduct betrays a manifest and egregious abuse of authority.
At the same time, the court quashed the FIR registered against car owner H1 Car Care, represented by J Ramakrishnaiah, on charges of cheating and forgery in registration of the vehicle for allegedly evading tax of Rs 60.08 lakh. The vehicle is neither stolen nor unlawfully possessed. It is a duly registered vehicle, taken from the custody of its registered owner, without adherence to any prescribed procedure.
However, Ranjith committed legal harakiri by disregarding the governing provisions; the quashing of the crime will not operate as a licence to the car owner to escape liability, if any, under the law. Liberty is thus reserved to the state to proceed afresh, strictly in accordance with law and with due observance of procedural safeguards, the court said.