BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court quashed criminal proceedings initiated against senior IPS officer Alok Kumar under the Prevention of Corruption Act by rowdy sheeter Mallikarjun MB alias Ravi, in a bribery case. The High Court, however, reserved liberty for the special court to proceed against Alok Kumar only after valid sanction from the competent authority is produced by the prosecution.
Alok Kumar moved the High Court, challenging the order passed by the special court on December 13, 2022, to take cognisance of offences against him about a crime registered by Lokayukta police in 2015. Allowing the petition by Alok Kumar, Justice M Nagaprasanna said the special court could not have taken cognisance in the absence of sanction to prosecute the petitioner.
The court said that when the crime was registered, the petitioner was not named as an accused. Later, Lokayukta police conducted an investigation and filed a ‘B’ report before the special court. Cognisance was taken against the petitioner, based on a protest memo filed by the complainant to reject the ‘B’ report. Therefore, sanction is imperative, the high court observed. Alok Kumar’s counsel argued that the complaint did not include demand and acceptance of a bribe.
There is no evidence, even prima facie, to demonstrate this. The petitioner had been strict in curbing rowdy activities in the city, he argued. According to the complaint, there was an altercation between the complainant and management of a bar and restaurant on May 30, 2015, and a case was registered by Vyalikaval police.
During investigation, the ACP and other police officers allegedly called Ravi and demanded a bribe to close the case. Ravi gave Rs 5 lakh but the ACP demanded Rs 1 crore, saying it had to be given to Alok Kumar, the complaint said. When Ravi did not pay the bribe, he was threatened with serious offences under the Arms Act. Based on this, a crime was registered before Lokayukta police. They filed a ‘B’ report against Alok Kumar, contending there was no substance in the allegation of demand and acceptance of bribe.