The Karnataka High Court has ruled that the investigation into a criminal case alleging the creation of forged documents to secure a Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) position cannot be stayed. The court issued this directive while hearing a writ petition filed by S.B. Kashilingegowda, a PSI at Badarahalli Police Station, who had sought the cancellation of the case registered against him.
A single-judge bench presided over by Justice Suraj Govind Raj dismissed the petition to quash the First Information Report (FIR). The bench directed the police officers at Vidhan Soudha Police Station to complete the investigation promptly and submit their report. The court noted that the allegation involves the manipulation of a vaccination card and register documents submitted to a civil court to obtain a decree based on an altered date of birth, which constitutes fraud and forgery.
According to the complaint, the petitioner allegedly changed their date of birth from April 15, 1987, to April 15, 1988, to become eligible for the PSI recruitment process. The complainant filed a report at Vidhan Soudha Police Station, leading to the registration of an FIR under Sections 420 (cheating), 465, and 468 (forgery of documents) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The court emphasized that the petitioner’s role in the incident must be established through a full-fledged police investigation and that the civil court’s judgment does not obstruct the criminal probe.
