The Karnataka High Court has quashed the FIR and investigation registered by Lokayukta police over allegations of approximately ₹1.55 crore being misused in works undertaken by the Ballari City Corporation, while allowing authorities to initiate further action after obtaining the required prior approval.
A single-judge bench led by Justice Anant Ramanath Hegde at the High Court’s Dharwad bench partly allowed four separate petitions filed by Veeresh Savadi, G. Prashant Naik, retired municipal commissioner Manjunath Karbasappa Nalawadi, M. Thimappa and junior engineer Adarsh, according to a report by Prajavani.
The petitions challenged the criminal case and the investigation connected to the alleged misuse of funds in municipal works. The court’s order has set aside the FIR and the investigation in their existing form.
However, the bench clarified that the order did not bring the matter to a complete close. It directed the investigating officer to take further steps after securing the necessary prior sanction from the competent authority under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Section 17A requires prior approval from the competent authority before an investigation can proceed into decisions or recommendations made by a public servant in the discharge of official duties, as applicable under the law. The court’s direction therefore leaves open the possibility of a fresh process if the statutory requirement is met.
The case concerns alleged financial irregularities in works carried out by the Ballari municipal corporation. The supplied report does not provide details of the individual projects, the agencies involved, the period during which the works were executed, or the specific amount attributed to each allegation.
The next step identified in the court’s direction is for the investigating officer to obtain the required approval under the Prevention of Corruption Act before taking further action. The ruling does not record a final finding on whether the alleged ₹1.55 crore misuse occurred.
