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From Custody to Conditions: Karnataka HC Frees Accused in High-Stakes Stamp Forgery Saga
In a nuanced ruling balancing the gravity of forgery allegations against procedural realities, the
has granted regular bail to D A Srinivas, accused No. 9 in a
probe into counterfeit stamp papers tied to a contentious property dispute. Justice Shivashankar Amaranannavar, presiding single judge, emphasized that with the investigation nearing completion and no further custodial need,
"
."
The decision in
CRL.P No. 961 of 2026
comes amid a web of prior probes,
timelines, and rival agency findings.
Roots in Raghunath's Shadowy Legacy
The case traces back to land dealings involving late K. Raghunath, whose 54-acre properties sparked family feuds after his death. A will dated (allegedly backdated post-mortem on forged stamp paper) named Srinivas a beneficiary, fueling civil suit O.S. No. 246/2020. Complaints snowballed: registered Crime No. 7/2021 in after a sub-registrar flagged fake franking on documents from multiple offices, invoking Sections like 255 (counterfeit seal), 420 (cheating), and later expanded to 120B (conspiracy), 465-471 (forgery).
Prior probes under Crimes 89/2020 (unnatural death) and 148/2020 (forged will) ended in by a court-ordered Special Investigation Team ( ) led by a DCP, clearing Srinivas. charged eight others (including deceased Raghunath as accused No. 8) in the franking case but spared him. A writ petition led to takeover in , re-registering as RC 07(S)/2022. dismissed Srinivas's challenge in , mandating wrap-up in eight months—expired by his arrest.
Petitioner's Plea: Cleared Once, Co-operative Always
Senior advocates and argued Srinivas faced no fresh evidence beyond 's exoneration. He cooperated fully—surrendering 59 documents pre-arrest, enduring seven days' police custody without recoveries, and holding prior sans violations. Stressing parity with bailed co-accused (stamp vendors, machine operators), they noted 's late accusation contradicted 's clean slate. Investigation complete ( report confirming Raghunath's signature forgery received), no absconding risk, and acquittals/quashings in alleged /bomb blast priors bolstered the pitch. Citing and , they invoked bail as rule for triable offences sans life minimums.
's Fierce Pushback: Influence, Tampering Fears
and painted Srinivas as a powerful beneficiary manipulating probes—allegedly suppressing seizure mahazars, forging FSL samples via ACP ties (now booked), and sending threats to Raghunath's family. Blank stamps akin to disputed ones were recovered from him; deemed documents backdated post-death. As an " " with life-imprisonment potential under , they warned of witness tampering, citing his "criminal antecedents." De-facto complainant (Raghunath's wife Manjula) echoed: charge sheet ignored protest petition; Srinivas "won over" state machinery.
Court's Tightrope: Precedents Tip the Scale
Justice Amaranannavar dissected the dual probes, noting 's and non-arrayment of Srinivas, versus 's conspiracy angle. Rejecting blanket bar ( P. Chidambaram clarified gravity case-specific), the court applied the " ": flight risk negated by passport surrender offer; tampering fears by conditions; obstruction unlikely post- . Precedents like (" ") and underscored no pre-judgment of evidence. Antecedents? : not disqualifying alone.
"The entire case of the prosecution rests on documents which are already seized... When investigation is document-centric and no recovery is pending, continued incarceration serves no investigative purpose."
opinions received signaled
"major portion of the investigation is over."
Bail with Iron Chains: Freedom on a Leash
Petition allowed: Srinivas bailed on Rs. 5 lakh bond with sureties. Stringent strings attached—no Karnataka entry bar court summons, passport surrender, no witness contact, IO cooperation mandated. Violation invites cancellation.
This tempers 's probe integrity concerns while prioritizing liberty. Future cases may cite it for document-heavy forgeries post-forensic stage, especially with agency conflicts. Meanwhile, parallel Renukaswamy murder probes highlight Karnataka prisons' scrutiny—recent HC guidelines ( ) mandate medical vetting for home food, underscoring dignity sans special treatment.
The ruling reinforces: probes end, rights endure.
