The Karnataka High Court has put a temporary halt on the investigation against spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in connection with an alleged land encroachment case, observing that there is no prima facie material linking him to the accusations at this stage.
A single-judge Bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the interim order while hearing a petition filed by Ravi Shankar seeking quashing of an FIR registered by the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF). The FIR pertains to alleged encroachment of government land in Kaggalipura village in Bengaluru.
The Court noted that a preliminary reading of the complaint did not disclose any specific allegations against Ravi Shankar. It held that, in the absence of concrete material, he could not be subjected to criminal investigation merely because his name appeared in the proceedings.
Accordingly, the High Court stayed further investigation against Ravi Shankar until the next date of hearing, while clarifying that the order does not amount to quashing the case at this stage.
The land encroachment issue traces back to a public interest litigation alleging illegal occupation of government land. Although Ravi Shankar was named as a respondent, his counsel argued that he neither owns nor possesses the disputed land and that even earlier state records did not identify him as an encroacher.
The Court will take up the matter for further consideration on the next hearing date, when it will examine whether the FIR against Ravi Shankar warrants continuation.
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