IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 23^RD DAY OF APRIL, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR WRIT PETITION NO. 3107 OF 2024 (GM-RES)

BETWEEN:

SRI N SATISH BABU, S/O LT SRI T NARASIMAHAIAH AGED ABOUT 52 YEARS OCC SUPERINTENDENT ENGINEER PUBLIC WORKS PORTS AND INLAND WATER TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT BUILDING CIRCLE, 2^ND FLOOR KR CIRCLE, BENGALURU R/AT 23/A, 6^TH C ROSS, 3^RD MAIN ROAD, JAYAMAHALL LAYOUT BENGALURU – 560 046.

…PETITIONER (BY SRI. SANDESH.J.CHOUTA, SENIOR COUNSEL APPEARING FOR SRI. SHARATH CHANDRA, ADVOCATE)

AND:

1. STATE OF KARNATAKA Digitally LOKAYUKATA PS BENGALURU CITY signed by REP BY SPECIAL PUBLIC PROSECUTOR CHANDANA OFFICE OF KARNATAKA LOKAYUKTA B M M S BUILDING, DR AMBEDKAR VEEDHI Location:

BENGALURU 560 001.

High Court of Karnataka

2. SRI K G RAMAKRISHNA S/O K P GANGARAJU AGED ABOUT 52 YEARS DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT 06 KARNATAKA LOKAYUKTA BENGALURU CITY, M.S. BUILDING BENGALURU - 560 001.

…RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. VENKATESH.S.ARABATTI, ADVOCATE)

THIS W.P IS FILED UNDER ARTICLE 226 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, 1950 READ WITH SECTION 482 OF CPC, PRAYING TO QUASH THE FIR AND COMPLAINT/SOURCE REPORT IN CRIME NO.03/2024 DTD 08.01.2024 REGISTERED BY THE R1 . KARNATAKA LOKAYUKTA POLICE, BENGALURU CITY AS AGAINST THE PETITIONER HEREIN WHO IS ARRAYED AS ACCUSED ALLEGING THE COMMISSIONER OF OFFENCE PUNISHABLE U/S 13(1)(b) R/W SECTION 13(2) OF THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1988 (AMENDMENT ACT 2018), WHICH IS PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE HONBLE XXIII ADDL. CITY CIVIL AND SESSIONS COURT, BENGALURU CITY, INSOFAR AS THE PETITIONER / ACCUSED IS CONCERNED (PRODUCED VIDE ANNEXURES-A AND B.

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR FURTHER HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.R.KRISHNA KUMAR

ORAL ORDER

The petitioner was appointed as the Industrial Extension Officer, Shikaripura, Industries and Commerce Department of the Government of Karnataka on 24.10.1994 and continued to work in the said Department till 2002, when he was appointed as a Junior Engineer, PWD at Jagalur, Davanagere, and thereafter, promoted to the post of Assistant Engineer, Executive Engineer, and Superintendent Engineer, PWD, at Bangalore, from February 2023 onwards. The petitioner’s wife Smt.Sudha is also a public servant having been appointed as the Child Development Officer in the year 2002 and working under the State Government. It is contended that the petitioner and his wife, both of whom are public servants have filed their timely income tax returns and also annual property returns from time to time.

2. On 18.11.2023, the 2^nd respondent – Dy.S.P.–

Lokayuktha filed a source report against the petitioner, in pursuance of which, the Superintendent of Police passed an order under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended vide Amendment Act, 2018) (for short ‘the P.C.Act’), granting approval / permission to register an FIR and investigate against the petitioner – accused for alleged offences punishable under Section 13(1)(b) r/w Section 13(2) of the P.C.Act. In pursuance of the said source report dated 18.11.2023, an FIR in Crime No.3/2024 dated 08.01.2024 was registered against the petitioner for the aforesaid alleged offences. In the said proceedings, the Trial court issued a search warrant authorizing 1^st respondent – Lokayukha police to conduct search of the premises belonging to the petitioner, which was accordingly searched on 09.01.2024, during the course of which, certain documents were seized and reported in P.F.No.4/2024, P.F.No.15/2024, and P.F.No.16/2024 before the Trial court.

3. Aggrieved by the impugned source report and FIR, petitioner approached this Court by way of the present petition which was preferred on 25.01.2024.

4. In the first instance, vide final order dated 01.03.2024, this Court quashed the impugned FIR and proceedings on the ground that no preliminary enquiry was conducted before registering the impugned FIR and according permission / approval under the seco