- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:42510 CRL.P No. 11526 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 27TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MOHAMMAD NAWAZ CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 11526 OF 2025 BETWEEN: 1. SRI VARUN SAI SRIDHAR, S/O SRIDHAR RAMASWAMY, AGED ABOUT 42 YEARS. 2. ASHWINI B W/O VARUN SAI SRIDHAR, AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS. BOTH ARE R/AT NO. 3314, 13TH MAIN, 7TH CROSS, HAL II STAGE, INDIRANAGAR, BENGALURU - 560 008. …PETITIONERS (BY SRI S.RAJASHEKAR, ADVOCATE) AND: 1. STATE OF KARNATAKA, BY INDIRANAGAR POLICE STATION, REP. BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT BUILDING, BENGALURU-560 001. 2. R MUNIRAJU, S/O RAMAIAH, AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS, R/AT 10/3, BYRASVESHWARA NILAYA, 1ST CROSS, 13TH MAIN, HAL 2ND STAGE, INDIRANAGAR, BENGALURU - 560 008. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI ANOOP KUMAR, HCGP FOR R-1; SRI H MANJUNATH, ADVOCATE FOR R-2) Digitally signed by LAKSHMI T Location: High Court of Karnataka - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:42510 CRL.P No. 11526 of 2025 THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 482 CR.PC (FILED U/S 528 BNNS) TO QUASH THE FIR IN CR.NO.139/2025 OF INDIRANAGAR POLICE STATION ON THE FILE OF 10TH ADDL.C.M.M COURT MAYO HALL, BENGALURU REGISTERED FOR THE OFFENCE P/U/S 283 AND 351(2) OF THE BNS 2023 AND SEC.3(2) OF KARNATAKA PREVENTION OF ERADICATION OF INHUMAN EVIL PRACTICES AND BLACK MAGIC ACT 2017. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ADMISSION, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MOHAMMAD NAWAZ ORAL ORDER FIR in Crime No.139/2025 of Indiranagar Police Station is registered against the petitioners for the offence punishable under Section 3(2) of Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act, 2017 and under Sections 283 and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. 2. In brief, the defacto complainant/2nd respondent has alleged that the petitioners are practicing black magic in a manner detrimental to the complainant and his family. 3. This Court, on 15.09.2025 while granting an interim order of stay, opined that the dispute between the - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:42510 CRL.P No. 11526 of 2025 parties can be brought to a quietus, subject to the petitioners confining their activities to the ground floor of the premises, which they claim to be in their lawful possession. 4. Today, the petitioners have filed an undertaking affidavit. The same is taken on record. 5. Para 5, of the undertaking affidavit, which is relevant, is extracted hereunder: "5. We submit that though the alleged act done by us do not fall under the provisions of the alleged offences, we undertake that till the disposal of the pending civil suits and rights of the parties are adjudicated, we will not perform any Pooja in the property which is presently in the occupation of the 2nd respondent or his daughter viz.. Yamini Muniraju in the garage portion of the ground floor building and first floor portion of the building. We further submit that in view of undertaking given by us, no purpose will be served in continuing with the present case. We submit that there is no force or threat or coercion from anyone to give the present undertaking before this Hon'ble Court. We further submit that in view of - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:42510 CRL.P No. 11526 of 2025 the undertaking given by us before this Hon'ble Court, the above matter may be disposed off and thereby obliterate the impugned proceedings initiated against us." 6. The petitioners have undertaken that they will not perform any pooja in the property which is presently in the occupation of the 2nd respondent or his daughter in the garage portion of the ground floor building and first floor portion of the building. 7. The learned counsel appearing for the 2nd respondent submits that in view of the said undertaking, the said respondent will not precipitate the matter any further, subject to the petitioners adhering to the said undertaking. 8. The dispute is purely private in nature. As per the petitioners' counsel, the petitioners were only doing pooja, whereas the 2nd respondent is on a wrong notion that the they are performing black magic in the premises in question. - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:42510 CRL.P No. 11526 of 2025 9. As the petitioners have given an undertaking as noted above and as it is submitted by the learned counsel for 2nd respondent/defacto complainant that in view of the said undertaking, the complainant will not precipitate the matter further, this Court is of the view that no purpose will be served in continuing the criminal proceedings now initiated against the petitioners. To bring a quietus in the matter between the parties in the present proceedings, it is necessary to allow the petition and quash the proceedings. Accordingly, I pass the following: ORDER (i) The petition is allowed. (ii) The entire proceedings arising out of Crime No.139/2025 of Indiranagar Police Station, pending against the petitioners on the file of the X Additional CMM Court, Mayohall, Bengaluru, are quashed. IA No.1/2025 is disposed of. Sd/- (MOHAMMAD NAWAZ) JUDGE tsn* List No.: 1 Sl No.: 21