Reserved on : 03.03.2026 Pronounced on : 13.03.2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 13^TH DAY OF MARCH, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M. NAGAPRASANNA CRIMINAL PETITION No.3208 OF 2026 BETWEEN:

SMT. LAKSHMI R., W/O B.L.JAGADISH AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS RESIDING AT:

NO.611, ROYAL PARK RESIDENCY J.P. NAGAR 9TH PHASE, BENGALURU - 560 062.

... PETITIONER (BY SRI JAYAKUMAR S.PATIL, SR.ADVOCATE A/W SRI SHRAVAN MADHAV K.P., ADVOCATE)

AND:

1 . THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY CUBBON PARK POLICE STATION, REPRESENTED BY S.P.P., HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU – 560 001.

2 . C.J. MURALIDHAR S/O LATE. JAYRAM AGED ABOUT 54 YEARS RESIDING AT:

NO.25, KERAF SRI GIRIRAJ, R.K. MATH ROAD, HALSUR, BENGALURU – 560 008.

WORKING AT:

EPFO STAFF CREDIT CO-OP SOCIETY LTD., NO.13, BAVISHYANIDHI BHAVAN RAJARAM MOHAN ROY ROAD BENGALURU – 560 025.

... RESPONDENTS (BY SRI B.N.JAGADEESHA, ADDL.SPP FOR R-1 )

THIS CRIMINAL PETITION IS FILED UNDER SECTION 528 OF B.N.S.S., 2023, PRAYING TO QUASH THE ENTIRE PROCEEDINGS IN SPL.C. NO. 207/2026 PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE HON’BLE PRL. CITY CIVIL AND SESSIONS JUDGE, BENGALURU WITH RESPECT TO THE PETITIONER; AND QUASH THE CHARGE SHEET DATED 27.01.2026 WITH RESPECT TO THE PETITIONER VIDE ANNEXURE - C IN SPL.C. NO. 207 OF 2026 PENDING ADJUDICATION BEFORE THE HON’BLE PRL. CITY CIVIL AND SESSIONS JUDGE, BENGALURU.

THIS CRIMINAL PETITION HAVING BEEN HEARD AND RESERVED FOR ORDERS ON 03.03.2026, COMING ON FOR PRONOUNCEMENT THIS DAY, THE COURT MADE THE FOLLOWING:-

CORAM: THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA

CAV ORDER

The petitioner/accused No.4 is at the doors of this Court calling in question proceedings in Special Case No.207 of 2026 arising out of crime in Crime No.199 of 2025 registered for offences punishable under Sections 120B, 403, 408, 409, 411, 477A read with 34 and 37 of the IPC and Section 9 of the Karnataka Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Establishments Act, 2004 (for short ‘KPID Act’) and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

2. Heard Sri Jayakumar S. Patil, learned senior counsel appearing for the petitioner and Sri B.N. Jagadeesha, learned Additional State Public Prosecutor appearing for respondent No.1.

3. Facts in brief, germane, are as follows: -

The 2^nd respondent is the complainant. The complainant registers a complaint on 31-10-2025 as the President of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization, Staff Credit Co-operative Society Limited. The allegation is that accused Nos. 1 to 4 have siphoned of the amount of provident fund that was deposited by nearly 300 employees and retired employees and thereby committed misappropriation of funds. It is the further allegation that from 2 to 3 months, the accused have also not credited the interest amount on the fixed deposits made, thereby close to ₹70/- crores of amount in the Society has went missing. On this score the complaint comes to be registered. The Police conduct investigation and file a charge sheet against four accused making all 359 persons who have lost their provident fund amount as witnesses. The petitioner/accused No.4 challenges filing of charge sheet against her, on the score that she has no role to play in the entire episode of alleged crime and, therefore, the proceedings must not be permitted to continue against her.

4. The learned senior counsel Sri Jayakumar S. Patil appearing for the petitioner while taking this Court to the documents appended to the petition, as also to the charge sheet material, would contend that the petitioner is only the wife of accused No.2 and she has not received any money nor can she be alleged of any misappropriation. Therefore, further proceedings if permitted to continue against the present petitioner would become an abuse of the process of law. He would further contend that invocation of KPID Act against the petitioner is also abuse of the process of law.

5. Per contra, the learned Additional State Public Prosecutor submits that the role of the petitioner is clearly brought ou