The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday ordered notice to state government and additional director general of police (ADGP), Karnataka Lokayukta on a PIL.
The petition, filed by city-based advocate S Umapathi, seeks directions for uploading of FIRs lodged by the Lokayukta police on the official website of the Karnataka Lokayukta.
A division bench, headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale, ordered notice and posted the matter to November 9. The petitioner, appearing party-in-person, submitted that several state governments had complied with the directions issued by the Apex Court (Youth Bar Association of India Vs Union of India case in 2016) for uploading the copies of the FIR on the websites.
The Supreme Court had directed that the copies of the FIRs should be uploaded within 24 hours of the registration, unless the offence is sensitive in nature, those pertaining to insurgency and terrorism, offences under Pocso Act and such other offences.
The petitioner said that he had filed a PIL in 2017 seeking similar directions to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF).
He stated that the petition was disposed of recording the statements of the ACB and the BMTF that order of the Supreme Court will be complied with.
According to the petitioner, the Lokayukta police have been registering the FIRs under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act since the abolition of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), following an order of the high court.
However, the requirement of uploading the FIRs on the website is not followed, the petitioner stated.
The petitioner further submitted that recording/registration of an FIR is an official act by officials in discharge of their duties and hence becomes a public document, within the meaning of section 74 of the Evidence Act, 1872.