Relief for Cong MP in case filed by party worker

The High Court on Monday stayed criminal proceedings against Kolar MP, K H Muniyappa, and Bethamangala New Town Zilla Panchayat member Lakshminarayana in a petition that sought quashing of an FIR based on the complaint of a Congress functionary.

V Shankar, a Congress candidate in the 2013 Assembly elections, had filed a complaint at the Robertson police station, contending that Muniyappa, Lakshminarayana and their men had “manhandled” him during the election campaign. Shankar claimed to be abused on the basis of his caste. Accordingly, police registered an FIR under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atro-cities) Act, 1989, and some sections of the IPC.

Later, police closed the case by filing a ‘B’ report. A sessions court in Kolar, however, set aside the ‘B’ report and directed the police to go ahead with the criminal proceedings. Muniyappa and Lakshminarayana appealed to the High Court seeking a stay on and quashing of the proceedings against them.

Their counsel, M Shivaprakash, argued that since both of them are elected representatives and government servants, government sanction was required to prosecute them. Justice A V Chandrashekhara stayed further proceedings.