- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29541 WP No. 24247 of 2025 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 17TH DAY OF JUNE, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ WRIT PETITION NO. 24247 OF 2025 (GM-POLICE) BETWEEN: 1. SRI S. KRISHNA S/O LATE SEETHA RAM AGED ABOUT 48 YEARS NO 14/1, AJRUNAPPA PAPANNA STREET THIGALARAPET BANGALORE -560 002 …PETITIONER (BY SRI: NARENDRA BABU B.K, ADVOCATE) AND: 1. STATE OF KARNATAKA REP BY THE PRINCIPAL SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT HOME DEPARTMENT VIDHANA SOUDHA BANGALORE-560 001 2. THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE BANGALORE CITY INFANTRY ROAD BANGALORE-560 001 3. THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE BANGALORE CENTRAL DIVISION NO 8, KASTURBA ROAD NEAR YES BANK SHANTALA NAGAR ASHOK NAGAR, BANGALORE-560 001 Digitally signed by SHWETHA RAGHAVENDRA Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29541 WP No. 24247 of 2025 4. INSPECTOR OF POLICE ULSOOR GATE POLICE STATION CORPORATION CIRCLE BANGALORE-560 002 …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI: C H DEVARAJ, GOVT. ADVOCATE) THIS WP IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO DIRECT THE RESPONDENT TO REMOVE THE NAME OF THE PETITIONER FORM ROWDY LIST, FROM THE FOURTH RESPONDENT STATION, ULSOOR GATE POLICE STATION BY CONSIDERING ANNEXURE-A DATED 21.07.25; DIRECTIONS TO THE RESPONDENTS NOT TO CALL THE PETITIONER TO STATION, WITHOUT ANY REASON. THIS WP, COMING ON FOR FINAL HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURAJ GOVINDARAJ ORAL ORDER 1. Petitioner is before this Court seeking for the following reliefs: a) To issue writ of mandamus, directing the Respondents to remove the name of the petitioner from ROWDY LIST, from the Fourth Respondent station i.e., Ulsoor Gate Police Station, by considering Annexure 'A; dated 21.07.2025. b) To issue directions to the Respondents not to call the petitioner to station, without any reason. c) To issue such other writs or directions which may be deemed fit in the facts and circumstances of the case." - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29541 WP No. 24247 of 2025 2. The grievance of the petitioner is that rowdy sheet has been opened in respect of the petitioner by the respondent - police. When there are no proceedings which are pending against the petitioner, despite the request made by the petitioner to delete the name of the petitioner from the rowdy list, it has not been done and it is in that background, the aforesaid reliefs has been sought for. 3. Learned AGA was called upon to place on record the proceedings which are filed and pending or disposed against the petitioner. 4. A memo has been filed on 10.02.2026, enclosing a list of 20 matters. Perusal of the said list indicates that these are proceedings which had been initiated in the year 1995-96, 1997-98 and some of them a little while later in 2005 and 2008 etc., 5. Perusal of the same indicates that the earliest matters were of the year 1995-96. However, what is important to be noticed is that most of those proceedings have ended in an acquittal of the petitioner, though a couple of them - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29541 WP No. 24247 of 2025 have ended in the petitioner being convicted and sentenced. The fact, however, remains that out of the said 20 matters, no proceedings are pending as on today. All the proceedings have been disposed, the last of the disposal being in the year 2014. Apart from these 20 proceedings, there are no other proceedings which have been initiated against the petitioner and subsequent to 2014, there is no proceeding pending against the petitioner. 6. Such being the case, the object of Criminal jurisprudence being the reform of criminals or alleged criminals, it is but, required that on acquittal in proceedings and thereafter for the reasonable period of time, there is no other proceedings initiated against the citizen of the country, their names should be deleted from the rowdy sheet. The continuance of the names of the citizen in the rowdy sheet is contrary to the reformist principle and it will not permit the citizen to reform. 7. In the present matter, the last of the complaint has been filed against the petitioner is in the year 2012. The last order being passed is in the year 2014. There are no - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:29541 WP No. 24247 of 2025 other proceedings pending against the petitioner from that day requiring the rowdy sheet to be kept alive. 8. As such, I pass the following: ORDER i) Writ Petition is allowed. ii) The respondents are directed to remove the name of the petitioner from the rowdy list within a period of 4 weeks from the date of receipt of copy of this order. Sd/- (SURAJ GOVINDARAJ) JUDGE BGN List No.: 1 Sl No.: 50