- 1 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:1935 CRL.P No. 103084 of 2024 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD BENCH DATED THIS THE 31ST DAY OF JANUARY, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 103084 OF 2024 (482(Cr.PC)/528(BNSS)) BETWEEN: BASAVARAJ S/O. RUDRAPPA DUNDANATTI @ BASAVARAJ @ DUNDANATTI, AGE. 34 YEARS, OCC. PRIVATE WORK, RESIDENT OF BEERANGADDI VILLAGE, TALUK. GOKAK, DISTRICT. BELAGAVI-591301. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. MANJUNATH A. KARIGANNAVAR, ADVOCATE) AND: THE STAET OF KARNATAKA THROUGH UDYAMBAG P.S., BELAGAVI, REPRESENTED BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD BENCH, DHARWAD-580001. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI. T. HANUMAREDDY, ADDL. GOVT. ADVOCATE) THIS CRIMINAL PETITION IS FILED U/S 482 OF CR.P.C. (528 OF BNSS), SEEKING TO, QUASH THE PROCEEDINGS INSOFAR AS PETITIONERS/ACCUSED NO.3 IN CC NO.22/2022 AND SAME IS PENDING FOR ADJUDICATION BEFORE JMFC IV COURT AT BELAGAVI AT ANNEXURE-A, AND REGISTRATION OF CRIME NO.49/2020 OF UDYAMBAG P.S. AND COMPLAINT FOR THE ALLEGED OFFENCES U/S 419, 420, 465, 468, 471, 204, 120(B), 35 R/W 34 OF IPC AT ANNEXURE-C AND FURTHER DISMISS COMPLAINT DATED 22.11.2020 AND CHARGE-SHEETS AT ANNEXURES-B, D AND E. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR B K MAHENDRAKUMAR Digitally signed by B K MAHENDRAKUMAR Location: High Court of Karnataka, Dharwad Bench Date: 2025.02.06 11:21:03 +0530 - 2 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:1935 CRL.P No. 103084 of 2024 ORAL ORDER 1. The petitioner, who has been charge-sheeted for offences punishable under Sections 419, 420, 465, 468, 471, and 204, read with Sections 120B, 34, and 35 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), has approached this Court seeking relief. 2. The prosecution alleges that, in the selection process for the post of Police Constable, accused No.1 had applied for the said post. However, accused No.2 appeared in the written examination by impersonating accused No.1. The specific allegation against accused No.3 (the petitioner) is that he filled out the application form for accused No.2 and uploaded the same on the official website. 3. The petitioner has been implicated solely on the basis of the confession statement of accused No.1, who, in his voluntary statement, claimed that accused No.3 had filled out the application form related to the written examination. However, the voluntary statement of accused No.1 is not supported by any corroborative material to substantiate the allegations against the petitioner. Furthermore, there is no evidence on record to establish that accused No.3 conspired with the other accused to facilitate accused No.1’s participation in the selection process. 4. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Additional Government Advocate for the respondent-State. - 3 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:1935 CRL.P No. 103084 of 2024 5. The Apex Court in the case of Surinder Kumar Khanna -vs- Intelligence Officer, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence - (2018) 8 SCC 271 has ruled as follows: "It would be noticed that as a result of the provisions contained in Section 30, the confession has no general way, because whatever is considered by the court is evidence; circumstances which are considered by the court as well as probabilities do amount to evidence in that generic sense. Thus, though confession may be regarded as evidence in that generic sense because of the provisions of Section 30, the fact remains that it is not evidence as defined by Section 3 of the Act. The result, therefore, is that in dealing with a case against an accused person, the court cannot start with the confession of a co-accused person; it must being with other evidence adduced by the prosecution and after it has formed its opinion with regard to the quality and effect of the said evidence, then it is permissible to turn to the confession in order to receive assurance to the conclusion of guilt whichthe judicial mind is about to reach on the said other evidence. That, briefly stated, is the effect of the provisions contained in Section 30. The same view has been expressed by this Court in kashmira Singh v. State of M.P.[Kashimira Singh v. State of M.P., 1952 SCR 526 : AIR 1952 SC 159 : 1952 Cri LJ 839] where the decision of the Privy Council in Bhuboni Sahu case (Bhuboni Sahu V. R., 1949 SCC OnLine PC 12: (1948-49) 76 IA 147 at p. 155.] has been cited with approval." 6. It is a settled principle of law that any confession made by an accused while in police custody is inadmissible under Section 25 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, unless supported by corroborative material to substantiate the allegations. Furthermore, an accused cannot be subjected to trial solely on the basis of such a confession. In the present case, even if the allegations against accused No.3 are taken at face value, they do not satisfy the - 4 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:1935 CRL.P No. 103084 of 2024 essential ingredients required to constitute the offences alleged against him. 7. Therefore, in the absence of any corroborative material to substantiate the allegations against the petitioner, the continuation of criminal proceedings based solely on the voluntary statement of accused No.1— which is inadmissible in law— would amount to an abuse of the process of law. 8. Accordingly, I pass the following: ORDER i) The petition stands allowed. ii) The impugned proceedings in CC No.22/2022 pending on the file of the learned JMFC IV Court, Belagavi, insofar as it relates to the petitioner – accused No.3 is hereby quashed. Sd/- (HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR) JUDGE HR Ct:VH List No.: 1 Sl No.: 3