MR. SUDESH SHETTY v. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA

Court: High Court of Karnataka

Bench: M.NAGAPRASANNA

Judgment date: 2026-04-16

Case summary

High Court of Karnataka judgment dated 2026-04-16. MR. SUDESH SHETTY v. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA. Read the judgment and case details on LawSphereX.

Judgment text

- 1 - CRL. P No. 2580 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU TH DATED THIS THE 16 DAY OF APRIL, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M. NAGAPRASANNA CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 2580 OF 2026 BETWEEN: MR. SUDESH SHETTY, (AS PER AADHAR CARD), AGED 32 YEARS, S/O SURESH SHETTY, R/AT 4-1-21C, RATHNA VIHAR N. H. 17, SANTHOSH NAGAR, AMBALPADY POST, UDUPI - 576 103. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. GANAPATHI BHAT. , ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA, THROUGH THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE, PADUBIDRI POLICE STATION, UDUPI DISTRICT, REPRESENTED BY THE STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BANGALORE - 01. 2. MR. ANIL KUMAR T NAIK, AGED 38 YEARS, FATHER S NAME NOT KNOWN, SUB INSPECTOR OF POLICE, PADUBIDRI POLICE STATION, - 2 - CRL. P No. 2580 of 2026 UDUPI DISTRICT - 574 111. …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. CHANNAPPA ERAPPA, HCGP FOR R1) THIS CRL. P. IS FILED U/S 482 OF CR. PC (FILED U/S 528 BNSS) PRAYING TO QUASH THE FIR DATED 10/12/2025 IN CRIME NO.

0145/2025 OF A PADUBIDRI POLICE STATION UDUPI DISTRICT REGISTERED FOR OFFENCES PUNISHABLE UNDER SECTIONS SECTION 78 OF THE KARNATAKA POLICE ACT, 1963 AND SECTION 112 OF THE BHARATIYA NYAYA SANHITA, 2023 PENDING ON THE FILE OF ADDL. SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE AND ACJM, UDUPI DISTRICT IN SO FAR AS PETITIONER HEREIN/ACCUSED NO. 2 IS CONCERNED. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ADMISSION, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M. NAGAPRASANNA ORAL ORDER Heard the learned counsel Sri. Ganapathi Bhat, appearing for the petitioner, Sri. Channappa Erappa, learned HCGP appearing for respondent No. 1 and have perused the material on record. 2. The petitioner is before this Court, seeking the following prayer: "1. Quash the FIR dated 10/12/2025 in Crime No. 0145/2025 of Padubidri Police Station Udupi District registered for offences punishable under Sections Section 78 of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963 and Section 112 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 - 3 - CRL. P No.

2580 of 2026 pending on the file of Addl. Senior Civil Judge and ACJM, Udupi District in so far as Petitioner herein/Accused no. 2 is concerned; 2. Grant such other and further reliefs as this Hon'ble court deems fit to grant under the circumstances of the case, in the interest of justice and equity. " 3. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner would submit that the issue in the lis stands covered by the judgment rendered by this Court in Crl. P. No. 5827/2021 disposed on 10. 06. 2022, wherein it has held as follows: "The petitioner is before this Court calling in question the proceedings in Crime No. 165/2021 registered for offences punishable under Sections 79 of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963, Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and Section 420 and 34 of the IPC, 1860, pending before the Additional Civil Judge and JMFC, Hosakote, Bengaluru Rural. Petitioner is accused No. 4. 2.

Brief facts of the case leading to the filing of the case at hand are as follows: The case of the prosecution is that, on 26. 04. 2021, at about 9. 30 a. m. , C. M. Raju, PSI - the complainant received a credible information that within the jurisdiction of Hosakote Police Station, three individuals were indulged in playing IPL cricket betting. They were also booking betting for future matches about the winning and losing possibilities of various team and used an APP / Website by name JUNGLE BET. COM, to check the betting ratio and used mobile phones. They used WhatsApp to contact the customers, Google Pe, Phone Pe to transfer money to bank accounts and conduct gambling, involving money transaction to deceive general public. After which, FIR came to be registered for the offences as afore-quoted. - 4 - CRL. P No. 2580 of 2026 3. Heard Sri. Krishnamoorthy D. , learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Sri K. S. Abhijith, learned High Court Government Pleader for respondent No. 1.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the issue in the petition stands covered by an order passed by a Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in CRL. P. NO. 2929/2020 AND CONNECTED MATTERS D. D. ON 10. 01. 2022, wherein, it has held that betting does not come within the ambit of the definition of ‘gaming’ as found in Karnataka Police Act. 5. Learned High Court Government Pleader appearing for the respondents would accept the submissions of the learned counsel for the petitioner. 6. This Court in Crl. P. No. 2929/2020 disposed on 10. 01. 2022, has held as follows: “8. I h av e c on sid e r ed t h e a rgu m en t s. Fir stl y , on e p oin t of a rgu m en t r e gar din g r egi st ra ti on of an F IR i s t o b e d ea lt w ith . Al l th e c ou n s el f o r t h e p etiti on e r s h av e fu s se d ov e r th i s as p ect .

It i s t ru e th at th e s e c on d r e sp on d en t mad e a r ep o rt t o th e Cu b bon Pa rk pol ic e f o r re gi st rati on of FIR on th e bas is o f in f o rm ati on th at h e g ath e r ed wh il e in te r r og atin g a pl ay e r in c on n e cti on wit h C rim e N o. 12 4/20 19 . It a ppe a r s th at t h e in f o rm ati on th e s e c on d r es p on d en t gath e r e d i s in t h e f o rm o f c on f es si on of a n ac cu s e d an d th i s is th e r ea s on f o r ta kin g st r on g o bj ec ti on f o r r egi st ra ti on of FIR in C rim e N o . 1 97/20 19 wh i ch h a s gi v en ri s e t o ch a rg e sh e et in th e ca s e o n h an d . Of c ou r s e th e r e i s su bs tan c e in th e a rgu m en t th at th e c on f es si on st at em en t of an a c cu s ed giv en b e f or e th e p oli c e c a n n ot b e r e fe r r e d t o in v i ew o f ba r c on tain ed in s e cti on 25 o f th e In di an E vid en c e Ac t.

Bu t , th e said ba r i s t o t h e ex te n t o f p r o vin g th e c o n f es si on again st th e a c cu s e d wh o ma de it, th e r e i s n o pr oh i biti on a s su c h to ma k e u s e o f an y in f o rm ati on th at a p oli c e o ffi c e r c om e s to kn o w f or th e f ir st ti m e r e gar din g a c ri m e wh i ch migh t h av e tak en pl a c e in th e pa st an d n ot det e ct e d till t h e n , wh i l e in te r r oga tin g an a cc u s ed in c on n e cti on with an o th e r ca s e o f c ri m e. Su pp o sin g th at an accu s ed h i ms e lf go e s to pol ic e sta ti on an d giv e s in f o r mati on a bou t th e - 5 - CRL. P No. 2580 of 2026 o ff en c e c o mmi tt ed by h im , th e p oli c e i n su ch a ci r cu m sta n c e can v e ry w ell r e gis t e r an FIR an d th is p r op o sit i on is w ell e stab li sh ed [ F a dd i vs St at e o f M a dh y a Pr a de s h, ( A IR 19 64 SC 18 50 ) an d A g hn oo N a g es i a v s S ta te o f B ih a r ( A IR 1 96 6 SC 1 19 )] .

I f th is is th e po sit ion , wh y a s tat em en t gi v en by a co -ac cu s ed r eg a rdin g an oth e r c rim e c an n o t b e mad e u s e o f f o r r egi st r ati on o f FI R. In fa ct man y in cid en t s o f th e ft , r ob be r y o r da c oit y c om e t o ligh t on l y du ri n g su ch in t e r r o gati on s. It ma y b e stat e d f u rth e r th at s u ch s tat em en t can b e m ad e u s e o f on l y f o r th e lim it ed pu rp o s e o f r eg is tr ati on o f FI R an d it can n ot b e u s ed fo r pr o vin g it aga in s t a n ac cu s ed . R egi st r ati on of FIR i s n ot th e en d in it s el f a n d it is n ot a su b stan tiv e pi e c e o f ev id en c e a ls o . M e r e r egi st ra ti on o f FI R i n th is m an n e r d o es n ot l ea d to c on vi ctin g an a c cu s e d, in v e sti gat o r h as t o c oll e ct in d ep en d en t e vid en c e an d fu rt h e r t h e pr o s e cu ti on mu st be abl e t o p r o ve its ca s e be y on d r e as on abl e dou bt.

Th e r ef o r e t h e en ti r e argu m en t th at st at em en t of a c o -ac cu s ed du ri n g in t e r r og ati o n in c on n e cti on wi th s o m e oth e r cr im e can n ot fo r m ba si s f o r r e g ist ra ti on o f F IR i s to tall y u n f ou n d e d. 9. R ega r din g th e a r gu m en t o f Sri Ha sh math Pa sh a t h at st at em en t r e c o rd ed b y r e sp on d en t N o. 2 du rin g in v es tiga ti on in Cri m e N o. 1 24/ 2019 h a s n ot b e en p r od u c e d, it is t o be stat e d th at p r od u cti on of su ch a st at em en t is n ot n ec e s sa r y. F IR i s t o b e r egi st e r e d ba s ed on th e in f o rm ati on r ela tin g t o c om mi s s ion of a c ogn iz abl e o ff en c e . Ac c o rdin g to r e s pon de n t N o. 2 h e c o ll e ct ed th at in f o rma ti on du ri n g in te r r og ati on in C ri me N o. 124/ 201 9. It wa s a c on f e s si on a l st at e men t o f an a ccu s e d an d it f or m s p ar t o f t h e r e c o rd in C r i me N o . 124/2 019 .

Wh il e a c op y o f th at st at em en t c ou ld h av e b e en p r odu c ed al on g with r ep o rt mad e by r e sp on d en t N o . 2 to th e Cu bb on Pa rk pol ic e , it s n on -p r o d u cti on h as le a st ef f e ct f o r , e v en i f i t i s p r o d u c ed , it can n ot b e p ro v ed again st th e a c cu s e d in th e p r es en t ca s e . Th e r ep o rt of r e sp on d e n t N o. 2 sh o ws in f o rm ati on th at h e c oll e ct ed r e gar din g mat ch fix in g f o r th e K PL m at ch es of th e s ea s on 201 9 an d th is mu ch o f in f o rm ati on c a n ce rt ain l y b e b asi s f o r r egi st ra ti on o f FI R if r e all y an o ff e n c e h as b e en - 6 - CRL. P No. 2580 of 2026 c om mitt ed . Th e r ef o r e th i s a rgu m en t i s als o n o t ac c ept abl e . 10. H o w ev e r , th e oth e r c om m on po i n t u rg ed by all th e c o u n s el i s wo r th a cc e ptan c e.

Ac c o rdin g t o th e pr o s e cu ti on mat c h fi xin g am ou n t s t o ch eat in g an d th e r e f o r e th e o ff en c e u n de r s ec ti on 420 I PC h a s b e en in v ok e d in th e ch a rg e sh e e t. F o r in v okin g of f en c e u n d e r s ec ti on 420 IP C, th e es s en t ial in g r ed i e n ts t o b e pr e s en t ar e d ec e pti on , di sh on e st in du c em en t of a pe r s on to d el iv e r an y pr op e rt y o r t o alte r o r de st r o y th e w h o l e o r an y p a rt of a valu abl e s ec u r ity . It wa s a rgu e d b y S ri D h yan Ch in n a ppa th at th e cr ic k et l ov e r s g o t o w at ch th e ma tch b y bu yin g ti ck et s an d th e r e by th e y ar e i n du c ed t o p ar t with th e ir p ro p e r ty, i. e . , th ei r m on e y. O f c ou r s e mo n e y is a p r op e rt y, bu t h i s ar gu m en t t h at th e y a r e in du c e d t o bu y tick e ts can n ot b e a c ce pt ed .

Th ey m ay h av e a f e elin g th at th e y a r e g oin g t o witn e s s a f ai r gam e b ein g pl ay ed , bu t, th ey bu y th e tick et s vo lu n ta r ily . S o , qu e sti on o f in du c e m en t to bu y tick e t can b e ru l ed ou t . 11. It i s t ru e th at if a pla y e r in du l g es in mat ch fi xin g , a g e n e ra l f e e lin g will a ri s e th at h e h a s ch e at ed th e lov e r s o f th e gam e . Bu t, th is g en e ral f e elin g do e s n o t gi v e ri s e t o an o ff en c e . Th e m a tch f ixi n g ma y in dic at e dish on e st y, in d is ci p lin e an d me n tal co r ru pt ion o f a pl ay e r a n d f o r th is pu r p os e th e BC CI i s th e au th o rity t o in itia te dis cipl in a r y ac ti on .

If th e by e-l aw s o f th e BC CI p ro vi de f or in i ti ati on o f dis cip lin a r y ac ti on again st a pla y e r, su ch a n act io n is p e rm itt ed bu t, r e gi st rati on o f an FIR on th e g r ou n d th a t a c ri m e pu n ish abl e u n d e r s ec ti on 42 0 I PC h as b e en c om mitt e d , i s n o t pe r mitt ed . Ev en i f th e en ti r e ch a rg e s h e et av e rm en ts a r e ta k e n to b e t ru e on th ei r f a c e valu e , th ey d o n ot c on stitu t e an o ff en c e . 12. On e of t h e p eti ti on e rs i s a bo o kie sai d t o h a v e in v ol v e d in b ettin g . S ri H ash math Pa sh a h a s r eli ed u pon a j u d gm en t of th e Su p r em e C ou rt in B o ar d of C o nt ro l fo r Cr i ck et v s C ri ck et A s so ci a ti o n o f B i h ar an d O th e rs [2 0 16 (8 ) S CC 53 5 ] wh e r e it i s ob s e rv e d th at b et tin g is t o b e l egal iz ed . It wa s argu e d b y th e r es po n den t th at b ettin g am ou n t s - 7 - CRL. P No.

2580 of 2026 to ga min g wh i ch is an o ff en c e u n de r th e K arn ata ka P oli c e Act . I f s e cti on 2(7) o f K arn ata ka P ol ic e A ct i s s e en , its e xp lan ati on v er y cl ea rl y sa ys th at gam e o f ch an c e do e s n ot in clu d e an y a th l eti c gam e or sp o rt . C ri c ket i s a sp o rt an d th e r e f or e e v en if b ettin g tak e s pla c e , it c an n ot b e b r o u gh t wi th in th e ambit of de fin i ti on o f ‘ga min g’ f ou n d in K a rn at a ka P oli c e Act . 13.

Sr i D h y an Ch in n app a a rgu ed t h at s ec ti on 1 20B o f I P C i s an in d ep en d en t o ff en c e an d th e r e f or e n ot with stan din g t h e f act th at in gr e di en t s f o r s e ct ion 42 0 IP C c an b e said t o be n ot th e r e fo r argu m en t sak e , stil l th e ac cu s ed c an b e pr o s ecu t ed f o r o f f en c e u n d e r 120B an d in th i s r e gar d h e h as p la c ed r eli an c e on th e j u dg m en t o f a co - or din a t e b en c h o f th i s c ou rt in th e ca s e o f S a ch i n N a r a y an v s I nco m e T ax De p ar tm e nt a nd A no th e r (W. P. 52 9 9/ 2 01 9 a n d c on n ect ed w r it pet iti on s) .

Th e r e is n o s e c on d w o rd with r ega r d t o h is a rgu m en t th at s ect i on 12 0B i s an in d ep en d en t of f en c e bu t, t o in v ok e th i s of f en c e o f c on spi r ac y , as h as b e en a rgu ed by S ri Ha sh math P ash a, t h e all eg ati on s f ou n d in t h e ch a rg e sh e et mu st con st itu t e an of f en c e in c on n e cti on with w h ich c on spi r ac y is all eg ed . As d is cu s s ed ab ov e , th e all eg ati on s f ou n d in th e ch a rg e sh e et d o n ot c on stitu t e an o ff en c e u n de r s e cti on 420 IP C an d th e r ef o r e o ff en c e u n de r s e cti on 1 20B can n ot be in v ok e d in th e fa ct s an d ci r cu m stan c e s . Th e r e f o r e th e argu m en t o f S ri D h yan Ch in n a ppa ca n n ot b e ac c ept e d. 14. F r om th e f o r eg oin g di s cu s si on , I c om e t o c on clu si o n th at a ll th e s e pet iti on s de s e rv e t o b e al lo w ed . Th e pr o c e edin g s again st th e p et iti on e r s in C . C .

2 939/ 202 0 on th e fil e of I A CM M, B en g alu ru , a r e qu ash e d. ” In light of the afore-extracted order, the issue in the case at hand covers on all its fours. Therefore, I deem it appropriate obliterate the proceedings initiated against the petitioner. - 8 - CRL. P No. 2580 of 2026 7. For the aforesaid reasons, the following: ORDER (i) The criminal petition is allowed. (ii) The proceedings in Crime No. 165/2021, pending before the Additional Civil Judge and JMFC, Hosakote, Bengaluru Rural, stand quashed. " In the light of the order passed by this Court (supra) and for the reasons aforementioned, the following: ORDER (i) The Criminal Petition is allowed. (ii) The proceedings in Crime No. 0145/2025 registered by Padubidri Police Station, Udupi District, stand quashed qua the petitioner. Sd/- (M. NAGAPRASANNA) JUDGE SJK List No. : 1 Sl No. : 27

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