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The Karnataka High Court has directed the Superintendent of Police in Ballari district to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Sandur police station Inspector Mahesh Gowda, who is accused of assaulting a 25-year-old man.
The petitioner, V Vivekananda from Kolur village in Kurugodu taluk, approached the High Court after police allegedly refused to act on his complaint. Vivekananda said Inspector Gowda assaulted him on August 25 when he had gone to meet Labour Minister Santosh Lad. Despite submitting a complaint at the Sandur police station, no FIR was registered, prompting him to move the High Court in October. He also provided medical records to support his allegations, The Times of India reported.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, while allowing the petition, observed that police failed to register a case even though the complaint clearly pointed to a cognisable offence. The court noted that the petitioner had been made to “run from pillar to post” to have his complaint acknowledged.
The court stressed that the registration of a criminal case cannot depend on the identity or rank of the accused, and that no citizen can be denied the right to lodge a complaint alleging a cognisable offence.
The Bench directed the Ballari SP to ensure immediate registration of an FIR against Inspector Mahesh Gowda and to oversee a fair investigation, including transferring the probe to another police station if necessary.