Latest news with #Durgappa
Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Karnataka High Court recalls order quashing caste atrocity case against Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, IISc officials
The Karnataka High Court Thursday recalled its earlier order that had quashed proceedings under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, initiated against Infosys co-founder S Kris Gopalakrishnan and several Indian Institute of Science (IISc) officials, including Director Govindan Rangarajan and Registrar Sridhar Warrier. Justice S R Krishna Kumar passed the recall order after the complainant, Dr D Sanna Durgappa, a former IISc professor, submitted that the earlier ruling was passed without hearing his side. The court observed that the complainant and his counsel were not present – either physically or via video conferencing – on April 16, when a co-ordinate bench had allowed the petition by the accused and quashed the First Information Report (FIR). 'Learned senior counsel for petitioners would not dispute that… the respondent no 1 or his counsel were not present… and that they were not heard on that day,' the court noted. 'In that view of the facts and circumstances, without expressing any opinion… and in order to provide one more opportunity to respondent no 1 to make submissions on the merits of the matter, I deem it just and appropriate to recall the final order,' Justice Krishna Kumar stated. The matter has been restored for hearing on August 7, with the interim stay on proceedings extended until then. The case involves allegations of caste-based discrimination, wrongful dismissal, and threats made by senior IISc officials and members of its Governing Council. Apart from Gopalakrishnan – Chairman of the IISc Council since 2022 – others named in the FIR include Sandya Vishwswaraih, Hari K V S, Dasappa, Balaram P, Hemalata Mhishi, Chattopadyaya K, Pradeep D Sawkar, and Manoharan. The matter stems from a private complaint filed by former IISc assistant professor Dr Durgappa, who hails from a Scheduled Caste group. He alleged that he was falsely implicated in a 2014 honey trap case, following which he was terminated from service in 2015. He also claimed caste-based abuse and threats by IISc faculty and legal representatives. The termination was legally challenged, but a settlement was reached, converting it into a resignation. Dr Durgappa received terminal benefits and agreed to withdraw related complaints pending before bodies like the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. Despite this, he filed two more complaints in 2016 and 2017 under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which the high court quashed, noting that the allegations were an attempt to give a 'criminal colour to a civil dispute.' In 2025, he filed a third complaint with similar charges and fresh allegations against two IISc legal representatives. This led to the registration of an FIR, which the high court had quashed on April 16, stating the claims did not constitute offences under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and amounted to 'vexatious litigation.' Justice Hemant Chandangoudar had termed the FIR 'an abuse of the legal process' and permitted the petitioners to approach the Advocate General for initiating criminal contempt proceedings against Dr Durgappa. With Thursday's order, the matter is now restored for fresh hearing, giving the complainant an opportunity to present his case.
The Hindu
26-06-2025
- The Hindu
Spiritual piety marks the beginning of Bonalu
As a harsh June sun beat down on the stone steps of Golconda fort, hundreds of women, some men dressed as women, bent down to apply vermillion and turmeric to the steps leading to the ancient Jagadambika Temple on crest of the hillock. As men whipped up teen-maar beat on drums and on tin sheets, some women carried pots filled with cooked rice capped with a flaming torch. 'Bonalu marks the beginning of Aashadam. It marks a change of season and this offering is to ensure that the Goddess takes care of us in terms of health. Today, what we are doing in metlu puja (worship the steps),' said one of the devotees marking the steps with turmeric and vermilion. Outside the main fort complex, police officials barricaded the normal routes. Most of the devotees had to walk distances ranging from 2 to 3 km to reach the entrance of the fort. 'I had to park my vehicle outside the Banjari Darwaza. It is nearly a two kilometre walk and then there are these 350 steps,' said Ramesh, who came with his friends from Chintal Basti near Khairatabad to pray to the Goddess. Hundreds of policemen lined the route managing traffic even as politicians turned up with convoy of SUVs in the narrow streets of Jinsi Bazaar, Moti Darwaza, Rethi Gali, and Bada Bazaar road. 'I have been here from 8 a.m. I will have to be there till it gets over at 8 p.m.,' said a police official managing the crowd near Jagdambika Temple as the devotees scrambled and searched for their footwear. There are nine puja days for Bonalu spread over the month on Thursdays and Sundays, with the first being at the Golconda Fort. 'This kind of rush is a modern phenomenon. Till 1986, we used to get only 10 to 15 families offering bonams (pots of offering) to the Goddess. The entry ticket was 50 paise then. It changed in 2016 when the number of devotees surged into lakhs. Another big jump happened in 2021,' said O. Durgappa, who worked as monument attender of the Golconda Fort retiring in 2020.
Hans India
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
High Court quashes FIR against Infosys co-founder
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has quashed an FIR registered against Infosys co-founder Kris Go-palakrishnan and others under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The Court termed the complaint 'an abuse of the process of law' and granted liberty to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against the complainant. Justice Hemant Chandangoudar, who passed the order on April 16, observed that the complaint was a 'vexatious attempt to harass the petitioners.' The FIR was based on a private complaint filed by D. Sanna Durgappa, a former faculty member of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), who was terminated in 2014 following an internal inquiry into sexual harassment allegations. The court noted that the termination was later converted into resignation, following a challenge before the High Court in 2015. As part of the settlement then, Durgappa had agreed to with-draw all complaints and legal proceedings against the institution and its representatives. Despite this, he proceeded to file two more FIRs, both of which were quashed in 2022 and 2023. The present FIR, the court observed, contained similar allegations and was an abuse of judicial process. Reacting to the judgement, Kris Gopalakrishnan said, 'I have full faith in our courts and the justice system. This judgment reaffirms that misuse of legal provisions has no place in a fair and just system. I am grateful that the High Court has seen through the false-hoods and upheld the truth.' The court further held that the allegations did not attract any offence under the SC/ST (Preven-tion of Atrocities) Act, pointing out that the matter was essentially civil in nature, but had been wrongly given a criminal colour. The High Court has also allowed Kris Gopalakrishnan and other petitioners to approach the Advocate General for permission to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Durgappa.
New Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Karnataka HC quashes FIR against Infosys co-founder, IISc director in SC/ST Act case; calls complaint 'vexatious'
BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has quashed the FIR registered against Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) director Prof Govindan Rangarajan and 14 others under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act based on a complaint filed by Dr D Sanna Durgappa, former professor of the Centre for Sustainable Technologies. Justice Hemant Chandangoudar passed the order recently while allowing the petition filed by Gopalakrishnan, chairman, Governing Council, IISc, and others, questioning the legality of the crime registered by the Sadashivanagar Police Station. The court granted liberty to the petitioners to file an appropriate petition before the Advocate General seeking permission to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Durgappa. 'The present private complaint, which makes similar allegations except for the inclusion of additional accused Nos.16 and 17 (the advocates for the institution), who allegedly threatened the complainant to quit the service, is an abuse of process of law,' the court said and termed the filing of the third complaint as 'a vexatious attempt to harass the petitioners'. The court noted that it is clear that the allegations made against the petitioners do not constitute offences under the SC/ST Act. Durgappa was terminated for sexual harassment after a departmental inquiry. He challenged the termination before the court. The parties filed a joint memo, and as per the terms of the settlement, the termination was converted into resignation. He was entitled to all terminal benefits arising from the resignation. The court noted that Durgappa also agreed to withdraw all proceedings and complaints lodged with various authorities, such as the National Commission for SCs/STs, the additional DGP, directorate of civil rights enforcement, and the deputy superintendent of police, Civil Rights Cell. Despite this, he filed two similar complaints under Section 200 of the CrPC, the court said. The registration of the crime based on these complaints was challenged by some of the petitioners-accused before this court by filing two separate petitions.
NDTV
28-04-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Karnataka High Court Cancels Case Against Infosys Co-Founder Kris Gopalakrishnan
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has quashed an FIR registered against Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan and others under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and termed the complaint "an abuse of the process of law" and granted liberty to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against the complainant. Justice Hemant Chandangoudar, who passed the order on April 16, observed that the complaint was a "vexatious attempt to harass the petitioners." The FIR was based on a private complaint filed by D Sanna Durgappa, a former faculty member of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), who was terminated in 2014 following an internal inquiry into sexual harassment allegations. The court noted that the termination was later converted into resignation, following a challenge before the High Court in 2015. As part of the settlement then, Durgappa had agreed to withdraw all complaints and legal proceedings against the institution and its representatives. Despite this, he proceeded to file two more FIRs, both of which were quashed in 2022 and 2023. The present FIR, the court observed, contained similar allegations and was an abuse of judicial process. Reacting to the judgement, Kris Gopalakrishnan said, "I have full faith in our courts and the justice system. This judgment reaffirms that misuse of legal provisions has no place in a fair and just system. I am grateful that the Hon'ble High Court has seen through the falsehoods and upheld the truth." The court further held that the allegations did not attract any offence under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, pointing out that the matter was essentially civil in nature, but had been wrongly given a criminal colour. The High Court has also allowed Kris Gopalakrishnan and other petitioners to approach the Advocate General for permission to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Durgappa.
