ORDER :

1. The petitioner in the subject petition calls in question registration of crime against him in Crime No. 7/2021, for offences punishable under Sections 13(1)(b) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1998 (‘the Act’ for short) pending before the Principal District and Sessions Judge at Chikkaballapura.

2. Shorn of unnecessary details, facts in brief, are as follows:

The petitioner at the relevant point in time was working as a General Manager of Nandini Milk Products, a unit of Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited (‘KMF’) the apex body for cooperative movement in Karnataka. The petitioner joins the service of KMF in the year 1997, as a Technical Officer and from time to time had been promoted to higher echelons of office. The issue in the case at hand is not with regard to the service condition of the petitioner.

3. A Police Inspector of Anti-Corruption Bureau, Central Zone, Bangalore (‘ACB’) submits a source report to the Superintendent of Police on 20-11-2021. After thorough scrutiny of the documents of the petitioner with regard to assets, liabilities and annual returns, he holds that disproportionate assets of the petitioner were to the t