- 1 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:4009 CRL.P No. 101184 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD BENCH DATED THIS THE 28TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 101184 OF 2025 (482(Cr.PC)/528(BNSS)) BETWEEN: IRANNA N KOLADUR S/O. NARAYAN KOLADUR AGE. 47 YEARS, OCC. PHOTO STUDIO, R/O. RENTED HOUSE IN HATAPAKI PROPERTY, SAINAGAR GOKAK TOWN, TQ GOKAK DIST. BELAGAVI, PERMANENT ADDRESS AT. AMBEDKAR NAGAR BUS STAND ROAD, GOKAK TOWN, TQ. GOKAK, AND DIST. BELAGAVI, KARNATAKA-591307. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. VINAYKUMAR M.SHETTY, ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA THROUGH SHAHAURA POLICE STATION, REP. BY ITS STATE PUBLIC PROSEUCTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD-580011. 2. HUSANSAB D MULLA S/O. DASTGEERSAB AGE. 38 YEARS, OCC. POLICE OFFICER, R/O. CSB BELAGAVI CITY, TQ AND DIST. BELAGAVI, REP BY ITS STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD-580011. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. ASHOK T.KATTIMANI, AGA) THIS CRIMINAL PETITION IS FILED U/SE. 482 OF CR.P.C. (U/S. 528 OF BNSS, 2023) SEEKING TO ALLOW THIS PETITION AND QUASH THE ENTIRE PROCEEDINGS IN C.C.NO. 1927/2022 PENDING ON THE FILE BEFORE THE JMFC III COURT BELAGAVI B K MAHENDRAKUMAR Digitally signed by B K MAHENDRAKUMAR Location: High Court of Karnataka, Dharwad Bench Date: 2025.03.01 12:14:27 +0530 - 2 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:4009 CRL.P No. 101184 of 2025 ARISING OUT OF COMPLAINANT, FIR IN CRIME NO. 0077/2020, CHARGE SHEET NO. 02/2023 WHICH IS REGISTERED BY SHAHAPURA POLICE STATION FOR ALLEGED OFFENSE P/U/SEC. 417, 419, 420, 465, 468, 471, 120(B), 201 R/W 34 OF IPC AND ALL FURTHER PROCEEDINGS PURSUANT TO THEREIN RESPECT OF THE PETITIONER HEREIN. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR ORAL ORDER 1. The learned Addl. Government Advocate accepts notice for the respondents. 2. The petitioner, who is facing charges for the offences punishable under Sections 417, 419, 420, 465, 468, 471 and 120B, 201 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), is before this Court. 3. The case of the prosecution is that, during the selection process for the post of Police Constable, accused No.2 had applied for the said post. Allegedly, accused No.1 participated in the written examination by impersonating accused No.2. The specific allegation against accused No.5 is that he edited the Aadhar Card of accused No.2 and based on the said edited Aadhar Card, accused No.1 impersonating accused No.2 appeared in the written examination. The petitioner/accused No.5 has been implicated solely on the basis of the voluntary confession statements of accused Nos.1 and 2, wherein he states that accused No.5 created fake documents to enable accused No.1 to write examination by impersonating accused No.2. - 3 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:4009 CRL.P No. 101184 of 2025 4. The Hon’ble Supreme Court, in Surinder Kumar Khanna vs. Intelligence Officer, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence1 has held as follows: “It would be noticed that, as a result of the provisions contained in Section 30, the confession has no general evidentiary value, because whatever is considered by the court as evidence, including circumstances and probabilities, must meet the definition of evidence under Section 3 of the Indian Evidence Act. While a confession may be considered as evidence in a broad sense due to Section 30, it is not evidence as defined under Section 3 of the Act. As such, in dealing with a case against an accused person, the court cannot rely solely on the confession of a co-accused. Instead, it must begin with other evidence adduced by the prosecution and, after forming its opinion on the quality and effect of such evidence, may refer to the confession for assurance in reaching a conclusion of guilt. That is the effect of Section 30. This view has also been expressed by this Court in Kashmira Singh v. State of M.P. [1952 SCR 526: AIR 1952 SC 159: 1952 Cri LJ 839], wherein the Privy Council decision in Bhuboni Sahu v. R. [1949 SCC OnLine PC 12: (1948-49) 76 IA 147] was cited with approval.” 5. It is a well-settled principle that any confession made by an accused while in police custody is inadmissible under Section 25 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, unless corroborated by material evidence substantiating the allegations against the accused. Furthermore, an accused cannot be subjected to trial solely based on a confession statement. 6. In the present case, the allegation against accused No.5, even if taken at face value, does not fulfill the essential elements required to constitute the offences alleged against him. The prosecution has failed to produce any corroborative material to substantiate the claims made in the voluntary statements of accused Nos. 1 and 2. 1 [(2018) 8 SCC 271] - 4 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:4009 CRL.P No. 101184 of 2025 7. Therefore, in the absence of any corroborative evidence, the continuation of criminal proceedings against the petitioner based solely on the inadmissible confession statement of accused Nos. 1 and 2 would amount to an abuse of the process of law. Accordingly, I pass the following: ORDER i) The petition stands allowed. ii) The impugned proceedings in CC No.1927/2022 pending on the file of the learned JMFC III Court, Hubballi, insofar as it relates to the petitioner – accused No.5 is hereby quashed. iii) The trial Court to proceed against the other accused in accordance with law without being influenced by any observations made in this order and the observations made in this order is only for the purpose of accused No.5. Sd/- (HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR) JUDGE JTR Ct:vh List No.: 1 Sl No.: 43