BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court refused to quash criminal proceedings against Shankar Naik GK, now working as a police inspector at the Bidadi police station. He is accused of keeping Rs 72 lakh cash with him for around four months without depositing it into the state treasury when he was working at the Byatarayanapura police station.
The money was recovered by him in a case that was reported in Hoskote limits, but he registered it as if it had happened in his jurisdiction.
“In the light of seriously disputed maze of facts which prima facie depict a crime thriller, it would amaze this court to entertain the subject petition, as it does require investigation in the least,” said Justice M Nagaprasanna, rejecting Naik’s petition, questioning the case pending before the trial court under the provisions of IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The court noted that Naik did not deposit the amount to the treasury after marking it as a property folio (PF). It was revealed prima facie that Rs 72 lakh was in his custody from October 20, 2022, till February 26, 2023.
The inquiry officer, who conducted the preliminary inquiry, observed that CCTV footage clearly shows the petitioner coming to the police station long after his relieving, keeping a bag containing cash. The next day, the income tax officials took custody of the amount. But there was a change in the denomination of currency notes in the money that was entered under the property folio and the money recovered.
Naik, while working at the Byatarayanapura police station, had registered a crime against Santhosh Kumar on October 11, 2021 and recovered Rs 72 lakh near Hoskote tollgate. The case was later transferred to the assistant commissioner of police, Kengeri subdivision. Meanwhile, Naik was transferred from Byatarayanapura to Anekal on February 27, 2023.
Later, the magistrate ordered Byatarayanapura police to transfer the money to the Income Tax Department custody. A day before the order, on February 26, 2023, Naik carried a bag. which allegedly contained Rs 72 lakh, to the Byatarayanapura police station and placed it there which was recorded in the CCTV.
The deputy commissioner of police (administration) appointed Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) KC Giri in June 2023 to conduct a preliminary inquiry as to why the amount was carried into the police station, but he gave a report favouring the accused. But the second inquiry by another ACP Bharath Reddy disclosed the alleged offence committed by Naik.