1

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU

DATED THIS THE 17^TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2021

PRESENT

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE G. NARENDAR

AND

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.I.ARUN

CRL.A. NO.1390 OF 2015 (A)

BETWEEN:

THE STATE OF KARNATAKA

BY METAGALLI POLICE STATION

THROUGH ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER

OF POLICE, NARASIMHARAJA

SUB DIVISION, MYSORE 3 570 007

... APPELLANT

(BY SRI. K. NAGESHWARAPPA, HCGP)

AND:

KUMAR

S/O THIMMEGOWDA

AGED ABOUT 22 YEARS

R/O NO.55, SHYADHANAHALLI

VILLAGE, MYSURU TALUK 3 570 005

... RESPONDENT

(BY SRI.N. S. SAMPANGIRAMAIAH, APPOINTED AS

AMICUS CURIAE TO ASSIST THE COURT.)

THIS CRIMINAL APPEAL IS FILED UNDER SECTION 378(1)

AND (3) CR.P.C., PRAYING TO GRANT LEAVE TO APPEAL

AGAINST THE JUDGMENT AND ORDER DATED 21.07.2015

PASSED IN SPL.C.C.NO.17/2012 ON THE FILE OF THE VI

ADDITIONAL

DISTRICT

AND

SPECIAL

JUDGE,

MYSURU

ACQUITTING THE ACCUSED/RESPONDENT OF THE OFFENCES

2

PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTIONS 366 AND 376 PF IPC AND

UNDER SECTION 3(1)(XII)(XV) AND 3(2)(v) OF SC/ST (POA)

ACT.

THIS CRIMINAL APPEAL HAVING BEEN HEARD AND

RESERVED ON 09.08.2021 FOR JUDGMENT AND COMING ON

FOR PRONOUNCEMENT OF JUDGMENT THIS DAY, M.I.ARUN J.,

DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:

JUDGMENT

Aggrieved by the judgment of the VI Additional District and

Special Judge, Mysuru, in Spl.C.No.17/2012 dated 21.07.2015,

whereby the trial Court has acquitted the accused, the

complainant 3 State has preferred this appeal.

2. For the sake of convenience, parties are referred to as

per their status before the trial Court.

3. The case of the prosecution is that PW-2 3 Shwetha

went missing on 16.12.2011. Her father, PW-3 on 19.12.2011

lodged a complaint in this regard with the jurisdictional police.

The police after investigation, about 15 days later was able to

locate the missing PW-2 3 Shwetha. She was found along with

the accused. Thereafter on 30.12.2011, PW-2 Shwetha lodged a

complaint against the accused. The same is as follows:-

£Á£ÀÄ ªÉÄîÌAqÀ «¼Á¸ÀzÀ°è £À£Àß vÀAzÉ vÁ¬ÄAiÀĪÀgÀ

eÉÆvÉAiÀÄ°è ªÁ¸ÀªÁVgÀÄvÉÛãÉ. £À£Àß vÀAzÉ PÀÆ°

3

PÉ®¸ÀªÀiÁrPÉÆArgÀÄvÁÛgÉ. £À£Àß vÀAzÉ vÁ¬ÄAiÀĪÀjUÉ

ªÀÄÆgÀÄ d£À ºÉtÄ$Ú ªÀÄPÀ̽gÀÄvÉÛêÉ. CzÀgÀ°è £Á£ÉÃ

ªÉÆzÀ®£ÉÃAiÀÄ ªÀÄUÀ¼ÁVgÀÄvÉÛãÉ. £Á£ÀÄ ªÉÄ$ʸÀÆj£À «.«.

ªÉƺÀ¯ÁèzÀ°ègÀĪÀ ªÀiÁvÀÈ ªÀÄAqÀ° PÁ¯ÉÃf£À°è 1£Éà ªÀµÀðzÀ

¦.AiÀÄÄ.¹.AiÀÄ°è

ªÁå¸ÀAUÀªÀiÁrPÉÆArgÀÄvÉÛãÉ.

£ÀªÀÄä

UÁæªÀÄzÀ wªÉÄäÃUËqÀgÀªÀgÀ ªÀÄUÀ PÀĪÀiÁgÀ JA§ÄªÀªÀ£ÀÄ

£Á£ÀÄ

PÁ¯ÉÃfUÉ

ºÉÆÃUÀĪÁUÀ

ªÀÄvÀÄÛ

§gÀĪÁUÀ

ZÀÄqÁ¬Ä¸ÀÄwÛzÀÄÝ, £Á£ÀÄ F «ZÁgÀªÀ£ÀÄß £ÀªÀÄä vÀAzÉ-

vÁ¬ÄAiÀĪÀjUÉ w½¹zÉÝ£ÀÄ. DzÀgÀÆ PÀĪÀiÁgÀ£ÀÄ £Á£ÀÄ

¤£ÀߣÀÄß ¦æÃw¸ÀÄvÉÛãÉ, ¤£ÀߣÉß ªÀÄzÀĪÉAiÀiÁUÀÄvÉÛÃ£É JAzÉ®è

ºÉüÀÄwÛzÀÝ£ÀÄ. FUÉÎ ¸ÀĪÀiÁgÀÄ 2 wAUÀ½¤AzÀ £Á«§âgÀÄ

¥ÀgÀ¸ÀàgÀ ¦æÃw¸ÀÄwÛzÉݪÀÅ. ¢£ÁAPÀ:-16.12.2011 gÀAzÀÄ ¨É½UÉÎ

09-00 UÀAmÉAiÀÄ ¸ÀªÀÄAiÀÄzÀ°è PÁ¯ÉÃfUÉ ºÉÆÃUÀ®Ä ªÀgÀÄuÁ

PÁ®ÄªÉ gÀ¸ÉÛAiÀÄ°è £ÀqÉzÀÄPÉÆAqÀÄ ºÉÆÃUÀÄwÛgÀ¨ÉÃPÁzÀgÉ,

¸ÀzÀj PÀĪÀiÁgÀ £À£Àß »AzÉ §AzÀÄ £À£ÀߣÀÄß PÀÄjvÀÄ £Á«§âgÀÄ

J°èAiÀiÁzÀgÀÄ ºÉÆÃV ªÀÄzÀÄªÉ ªÀiÁrPÉƼÉÆîÃt JAzÀÄ

ºÉýzÀ£ÀÄ. CzÀPÉÌ £Á£ÀÄ FUÀ¯Éà ¨ÉÃqÀ JAzÀÄ ºÉýzÉ£ÀÄ.

CzÀPÉÌ PÀĪÀiÁgÀ£ÀÄ £Á£ÀÄ ¤£ÀߣÀÄß vÀÄA¨Á ¦æÃw¸ÀÄwÛzÉÝãÉ.

¤Ã£ÀÄ §AzÀgÉ, ¤£ÀߣÀÄß F ¢£ÀªÉ ªÀÄzÀÄªÉ ªÀiÁrPÉƼÀÄîvÉÛãÉ,

¤Ã£ÀÄ £À£Àß eÉÆvÉ ¨ÁgÀ¢zÀÝgÉ £Á£ÀÄ F ªÀgÀÄuÁ £Á¯ÉUÉ

©zÀÄÝ, ¸ÁAiÀÄÄvÉÛãÉAzÀÄ ºÉý £À£ÀUÉ §sÀAiÀĪÀÅnÖ¹ £À£ÀߣÀÄß

±ÁåzÀ£ÀºÀ½î¬ÄAzÀ ªÉÄ$ʸÀÆgÀÄ £ÀUÀgÀPÉÌ ºÉÆÃUÀªÀ §¸ï

ºÀwÛ¹PÉÆAqÀÄ ¹n §¸ï ¤¯ÁÝtPÉÌ ºÉÆÃV, C°èAzÀ

ZÁªÀÄÄAr¨ÉlÖPÉÌ PÀgÉzÀÄPÉÆAqÀÄ ºÉÆÃV, ZÁªÀÄÄAr¨ÉlÖzÀ°è

¸ÀÄvÁÛr¹PÉÆAqÀÄ ¸ÀAeÉ 6-00 UÀAmÉUÉ ªÉÄ$ʸÀÆgÀÄ gÉʯÉé

¤¯ÁÝtPÉÌ §AzÀÄ, C°èAzÀ gÉ樀 ºÀwÛ¹PÉÆ$AqÀÄ PÉAUÉÃjAiÀÄ°è

E½zÀÄ PÀÄA§¼ÀUÀÆr£À°ègÀĪÀ UÉÃgï¥Á¼ÀåzÀ°è PÀĪÀiÁgÀ£À

¸ÉßÃ$»vÀ QgÀuï JA§ÄªÀªÀgÀ ªÀÄ£ÉUÉ ºÉÆÃV CªÀ¤UÉ EzÀÝ

«ZÁgÀªÀ£ÀÄß w½¹ D ¢£À C°èAiÉÄà EzÉݪÀÅ. ªÀiÁgÀ£É ¢£À

QgÀt£ÀÄ C°èAiÉÄà ºÀwÛgÀzÀ°è ¨ÁrUÉ ªÀÄ£É ªÀiÁrPÉÆlÖ.

¸ÀzÀj ªÀÄ£ÉAiÀÄ°è PÀĪÀiÁgÀ£ÀÄ £À£ÀߣÀÄß Ej¹, C°è ¸ÀĪÀiÁgÀÄ

15 ¢ªÀ¸À EzÉݪÀÅ. £ÀAvÀgÀ ¸ÀzÀj ªÀÄ£ÉAiÀÄ°ègÀ¨ÉÃPÁzÀgÉ

4

PÀĪÀiÁgÀ£ÀÄ £À£Àß EZÉÑUÉ «gÀÄzÀݪÁV £À£ÀUÉ ¸ÀA¨sÉÆÃUÀ

ªÀiÁrzÀ£ÀÄ. £ÀAvÀgÀ F ¢£À ¢£