Karnataka High Court Stays FIR Against Three for Overtaking Judge's Car, Questions Judicial Conduct

The Karnataka High Court has stayed the investigation against three individuals who were booked for overtaking the private car of a judicial officer in Malur, Kolar district. The court also took a serious view of the conduct of the judicial officer involved.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna, hearing a petition filed by Vinay K.M. (24), his mother V. Kavitha (48), and his grandfather P. Venkatesh (70), all residents of Malur, issued the interim order on Wednesday. The petitioners had challenged the FIR registered against them based on a complaint by Gayathri, the Principal Civil Judge and JMFC of Malur.

According to the petitioners, after Vinay overtook the car driven by the judicial officer's husband and asked them to drive slowly, the husband chased the two-wheeler and stopped them. A quarrel ensued, which was captured on a nearby CCTV camera and later circulated on social media. The judicial officer then allegedly compelled the police to register a case against Vinay and his mother, who were on the two-wheeler, leading to the arrest of Vinay and his grandfather. They were later granted bail.

The court observed, 'It is surprising as to how in the offences alleged against these petitioners, they were taken into custody. Merely because the complainant was a judicial officer?' After viewing the CCTV footage, the court stated that 'prima facie the conduct of the judicial officer is unbecoming of the office of a judicial officer to get down from the car and indulge in a quarrel with a common man who only overtook the car of a judicial officer and asked them to go slow as they were on a two-wheeler. If this hurt or enraged the ego of the judicial officer it is nothing but a classic example of abuse of office of judicial officer.'

The court also directed the registry to place the order before the Chief Justice for further inquiry into the conduct of the judicial officer.