In a significant legal development, the Karnataka High Court has dismissed an FIR lodged against Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder of Infosys, under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The court denounced the complaint as “an abuse of the process of law” and sanctioned the initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against the complainant.
Justice Hemant Chandangoudar, delivering the judgement on April 16, described the complaint as a “vexatious attempt to harass the petitioners.” The FIR originated from a private complaint by D Sanna Durgappa, a former faculty member of the Indian Institute of Science, who was dismissed in 2014 following an internal inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment.
Durgappa contended that he was unjustly ensnared in a honey trap case in 2014, resulting in his dismissal. He further claimed to have endured casteist abuse and threats. However, the court noted that his termination was subsequently converted to a resignation after a 2015 High Court challenge, wherein Durgappa consented to retract all complaints and legal actions against the institution and its representatives.
Despite this agreement, Durgappa proceeded to file two additional FIRs, both of which were previously quashed in 2022 and 2023. The latest FIR, which the court identified as containing similar allegations, was deemed an exploitation of the judicial process.
Kris Gopalakrishnan responded to the judgement stating, “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.”
