ORDER

Accused Nos.1 to 3 are before this Court under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India r/w Section 482 of Cr.P.C, with a prayer to quash the FIR in Crime No.4/2024 registered by respondent No.1 for the offences punishable under Section 13 (1) (b) R/w Section 13 (2) and Section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act . 1988, (for short, 'P.C.Act'), pending before the Court of XXIII Addl. City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru.

2. Heard the learned counsel appearing for the parties.

3. Facts leading to filing of this writ petition as revealed from the records narrated briefly are, petitioner No.1 was appointed on compassionate ground as Secretary Grade-II on 26.03.2002 and in the year 2007 he was promoted as Secretary Grade-I. In the year 2011, he was promoted to the post of Panchayat Development Officer and during the year 2023 when he was working as a Panchayat Development Officer at Kundana Grama Panchayat, Devanahalli taluk, he was suspected of acquiring assets disproportionate to his known source of income, and therefore, the Police Inspector attached to Karnataka Lokayukta, Bengaluru Urban Division had held preliminary enquiry and thereafter submitted a sou