- 1 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:488 CRL.P No. 103329 of 2023 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD BENCH DATED THIS THE 13TH DAY OF JANUARY, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 103329 OF 2023 (482(CR.PC)/528(BNSS)) BETWEEN: 1. SIDDARAMA S/O SIDDAPPA DODDAMANI AGE. 38 YEARS, OCC. SOCIAL WORKER, R/O. SC COLONY, KOPPAL CITY, TQ DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 2. GOWTHAM S/O YALLAPPA BALAGANURU AGE. 28 YEARS, OCC. SOCIAL WORKER, R/O. SAJJI ONI, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 3. SHRIKANTH S/O HANUMANTHAPPA HOSAMANI AGE. 35 YEARS, OCC. TRADER, R/O CHAVADI ONI, KOPPA CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 4. MARKANDAPPA S/O CHANNAMMA BELLAD AGE. 35 YEARS, OCC. SOCIAL WORKER, R/O. BASAVESHWARA NAGAR, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 5. MOHANA S/O MARIYAPPA MYAGERI AGE. 34 YEARS, OCC. SOCIAL WORKER, R/O. BASAVESHWARA NAGAR, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 6. RAGAVENDRA S/O DEVAPPA CHAKARI AGE. 26 YEARS, OCC. SOCIAL WORKER, R/O. AMBEDKAR CIRCLE KOPPAL, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 7. MALLIKARJUN B PUJARA S/O BASAMMA PUJARA AGE. 41 YEARS, OCC. CONTRACTOR, R/O KUBEMPUNAGARA KOPPAL, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 8. PARASHURAMA S/O YAMANAVVA KEREHALLI AGE. 34 YEARS, OCC. SOCIAL WORKER, R/O KUBEMPUNAGARA KOPPAL, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. Digitally signed by B K MAHENDRAKUMAR Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA DHARWAD BENCH Date: 2025.01.15 11:09:25 +0530 - 2 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:488 CRL.P No. 103329 of 2023 9. PRAMOD S/O YALLAPPA BALAGANURU AGE. 34 YEARS, OCC. SOCIAL WORKER, R/O. SAJJI ONI, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 10. PAKIRAPPA S/O HANUMANTHAPPA AGE. 35 YEARS, OCC. CONTRACTOR, R/O. 12TH WARD, BASAVESHWARA NAGAR, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 11. ALLAMPRABHU S/O CHANNABASAPPA BETTADURA AGE. 66 YEARS, OCC. RETIRED PERSON, R/O. KALYAN NAGAR, KOPPA CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 12. RAMESH S/O BHARAMAMMA DODDAMANI AGE. 45 YEARS, OCC. FARMER, R/O. OJANHALLI, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 13. TIKYA NAIK S/O SHIVAPPA RUDRAMANI AGE. 33 YEARS, OCC. LABOURER, R/O. KUNIKERA THANDA, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIT. KOPPAL-583231. 14. SANJAY DAS @ SANJAY S/O KRISHNADAS KOUJAGERI AGE. 53 YEARS, OCC. DRIVER, R/O. KUVEMPU NAGAR KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 15. MARUTI S/O MARIYAVVA HOTTI HANUMAPPA AGE. 40 YEARS, OCC. LAW PRACTITIONER, R/O CHAMALAPURA, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 16. GALEPPA @ GALESHA S/O GANGAVVA DEVARAMANI AGE. 32 YEARS, OCC. CONTRACTOR, R/O. KATHARAKI, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 17. PARASHARAMA S/O HIRIYAKKA GINIGERA AGE. 43 YEARS, OCC. TRADER, R/O. SAJJI ONI, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. - 3 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:488 CRL.P No. 103329 of 2023 18. MAHALAKSHMI D/O LAKSHMANA AGE. 34 YEARS, OCC. POLITICIANS, R/O. BASAVESHWARA NAGAR, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 19. HUJUR AHMED S/O MOHAMED NAZEER AHMED NAYAK AGE. 53 YEARS, OCC. REAL ESTATE DEALER, R/O. BEHIND NILAM LODGE, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 20. BASAVARAJA S/O GURAPPA SHEELAVANTHAR AGE. 62 YEARS, OCC. FARMER, R/O. MANJUNATH NAGAR, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 21. SALIM KHADRI S/O SAYED KHADAR PASHA AGE. 32 YEARS, OCC. TRADER, R/O. PALTAN ONI, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. KUSHTAGI, DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 22. PUJARA DH S/O HUCCHAPPA PUJARA AGE. 58 YEARS, OCC. SOCIAL WORKER, R/O. HAMALAR COLONY, KOPPAL, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. 23. RAMESHA S/O HIRIYAKKA GINIGERI AGE. 40 YEARS, OCC. FARMER, R/O. SAJJI ONI, KOPPAL CITY, TQ. DIST. KOPPAL-583231. …PETITIONERS (BY SRI. LINGARAJ MARADI, ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA THROUGH KOPPAL TOWN POLICE STATION, BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT KARNATAKA BENCH AT DHARWAD-580011. 2. MAHANTAPPA METI AGE. 59 YEARS, OCC. PSI (L AND O), KOPPAL TOWN POLICE STATION, REP.BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD BENCH-580011. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. T. HANUMAREDDY, AGA FOR R1 & R2) - 4 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:488 CRL.P No. 103329 of 2023 THIS CRIMINAL PETITION IS FILED U/S 482 OF CR.P.C., PRAYING TO QUASH THE ENTIRE PROCEEDINGS IN CC NO.539/2022 PENDING BEFORE THE SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE AND CJM KOPPAL FOR THE OFFENCE PUNISHABLE U/S 143, 341, 269, 270, 149 OF IPC AND SECTION 109 OF THE KARNATAKA POLICE ACT, IN RESPECT ACCUSED NO.1 TO 23 IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE. THIS CRIMINAL PETITION, COMING ON FOR ADMISSION, THIS DAY, THE ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR ORAL ORDER Learned AGA accepts notice for respondents 1 and 2. 2. The petitioners have been charge-sheeted for the offences punishable under Section 109 of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963 and Sections 143, 149, 260, 270, and 341 of IPC. 3. The case of the prosecution is that the petitioners, who are members of Samvidhana Ulisi Aandolan Samiti, formed an unlawful assembly without permission from the competent authority and took out a procession alleging that the photo of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar had been insulted. The police charge-sheeted nearly 350-400 members of the Samiti for violating State Government orders. 4. The petitioners were charge-sheeted solely based on information gathered from an unknown person, without any credible material evidence to substantiate their participation in the procession. The charge-sheet lacks substantive evidence proving that the petitioners participated in the procession with the common - 5 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:488 CRL.P No. 103329 of 2023 object of committing the offences alleged, as defined in Section 141 IPC. 5. Therefore, continuation of criminal proceedings against the petitioners would amount to an abuse of process of law. 6. The petition is allowed, and the impugned proceedings in C.C. No. 539/2022 on the file of the Senior Civil Judge and CJM, Koppal, are quashed insofar as they relate to the petitioners. Sd/- (HEMANT CHANDANGOUDAR) JUDGE BVV LIST NO.: 1 SL NO.: 19