Karnataka HC stays investigation, court proceedings against Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan

Justice SR Krishna Kumar passed this interim order in the petition filed by ex Infosys CEO and other senior faculty and advocates representing IISc named in the case.

Bengaluru: In a relief to Kris Gopalakrishnan, co- founder and former CEO of Infosys, and 15 others, the Karnataka High Court has stayed the investigation and further proceedings against them in a complaint filed under the provisions of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. 

Justice SR Krishna Kumar passed this interim order in the petition filed by Kris and other senior faculty and advocates representing IISc named in the case.

The court ordered issuance of emergent notice to Sanna Durgappa, the complainant in the case and also to Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sheshadripuram, Bengaluru city.

“All further proceedings/investigation in the crime registered by the Sadashivanagar police and all further proceedings in the private complaint filed by the complainant which is pending the file of the LXX Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge and Special Judge, Bengaluru insofar as the petitioners are concerned, are hereby stayed till the next date of hearing. Liberty is reserved in favour of respondents to seek vacation/modification of this order,” Justice Krishna Kumar said.

The petition was filed by Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chair of the Governing Council, Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director of Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Capt Sridhar Warrier (Retd), Registrar, Anil Kumar P, Dean Admin and Finance, Prof Dipshikha Chakravortty, Prof Namratha Gundaih, Prof KVS Hari, Prof S Dasappa (all professors), Dr Nirmala, Medical officer, Prof Sandhya SVisweswariah, P Balachandra, Chief Research Scientist, Prof Anjali A Karande, Prof Chattopadhyay K, all retired professors, Prof. P Balaram, retired director, Pradeep S Sawkar and Abhilash Raju, advocates representing IISc.

The complainant is a faculty member from the tribal Bovi community who worked at the Centre for Sustainable Technology at the IISc. The complainant’s claim is that in 2014, he was wrongfully implicated in a honey trap case, leading to his dismissal from service. It was alleged that he was subjected to caste-based abuse and threats. The petitioners submitted that the complaint is false, vexatious and malicious and filed only to harass and defame them. They said that on April 6, 2016, the complainant had submitted an undertaking to the high court along with a joint memo that he will withdraw all those proceedings filed/submitted by him before various fora on the condition that his dismissal from service would be modified as resignation and hence it is impermissible to agitate the same again.

According to the petitioners, Internal Complaints Committee had received a complaint on September 25, 2014 from a research scholar with serious allegations of sexual harassment against Sanna Durgappa. When the Committee decided to enquire into the matter submitted a representation on October 10, 2014 to the then Director alleging harassment and atrocity against senior faculty members. The committee constituted to enquire into this submitted a report in December 2014 holding that the allegations are baseless and not supported by any material.

The petitioners stated that it is only after the proceedings initiated by the Internal Complaints Committee, that Sanna Durgappa mischievously started harassing all in the institute by filing multiple complaints, stating that he was being targeted on account of his caste.

Believed in fairness: Gopalakrishnan

Reacting to the verdict, Gopalakrishnan said in a statement.“I have always believed in fairness, justice, and treating everyone with respect, regardless of their background. I am deeply saddened that a law meant to protect the marginalized communities has been misused to make false allegations against me. I have been associated with IISc as Chairman of the Council since 2022, while the alleged incidents date back to 2014. IISc has clear policies for fair and transparent investigations, which are within the purview of the executive management,"

The statement further said, “…the High Court of Karnataka stayed all further investigation and proceedings under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against me and others. As the matter is before the court, I will not comment further. I have full faith in the judiciary and trust that justice will prevail.”