JUDGMENT

1. The petitioner is before this Court calling in question registration of crime in Crime No.10 of 2019 registered on 11/6/2019 for offences punishable under Sec. 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 ('the Act' for short) and pending before the III Additional District and Sessions Judge & Special Judge, Dharwad.

2. Heard the learned senior counsel Sri Gurudas Khannur appearing for the petitioner along with Sri A.S. Patil, Advocate and the learned counsel Sri Anil Kale, representing the respondent/Karnataka Lokayukta.

3. Facts adumbrated are as follows:- The petitioner was appointed as a Lecturer in J.S.S. College, Dharwad in the year 1991. Later on 28/12/1998 the petitioner was appointed as a Reader by direct recruitment in the discipline of Organic Chemistry in the Postgraduate Department of Studies, Karnataka University, Dharwad. After about 10 years of working as a Reader, owning to his eligibility, the petitioner was promoted to the post of Professor in the said Department of the University and worked as Professor up to 4-08- 2018. Holding the substantive post of Professor, the petitioner worked as Chairman of Postgraduate Studies between 4/8/201