Prima facie no allegations against Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Karnataka High Court stays probe in land encroachment case

The Karnataka High Court has stayed an investigation against Art of Living Foundation head and spiritualist Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in connection with a case registered against several persons on allegations of land encroachment [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar v. State of Karnataka]..Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the interim order on Tuesday on a plea filed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to quash the first information report (FIR) against him. The judge opined that prima facie, there was nothing on record yet to implicate Ravi Shankar in the case. "A perusal at the complaint would prima facie indicate no allegations against this petitioner (Ravi Shankar). Without any allegations, the petitioner cannot be drawn into the web of crime, unless the learned Special Public Prosecutor would place on record something to indicate that the petitioner is directly involved in certain acts, on the next date of hearing. Therefore, the investigation qua the petitioner shall remain stayed, till the next date of hearing," the interim order said.The stay will operate until the case is heard next on January 21. .The FIR in which Ravi Shankar is named is tied to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed in 2023 by one Chandra Sekaran N and some others, which sought the demolition of some structures that were allegedly built by encroaching on government land in Kaggalipura village, Uttarahalli Hobli, Bengaluru South Taluk. Ravi Shankar was among the respondents named in this PIL for having allegedly been involved in the land encroachment. In response to the PIL, Ravi Shankar had maintained that he did not own any land in the said area and that he was made a party to the case for ulterior motives.The Court eventually closed the 2023 PIL in September last year by directing the State to take action against any encroachers in accordance with the law. Ravi Shankar counsel has highlighted that even in a memo filed by the State's counsel in the said PIL, his name did not feature in the list of alleged encroachers. Similarly, it is submitted that Ravi Shankar has not been named in related proceedings initiated by a Land Grabbing Court in 2024. However, on September 19 - after the High Court disposed of the 2023 PIL - the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) registered an FIR suo motu, in which Ravi Shankar was among those accused of land encroachment in Kaggalipura village. Shankar's plea has urged the Court to quash this FIR..During yesterday's hearing of the case, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Belliappa opposed the plea and urged the Court not to grant any interim stay on the investigation against Shankar. He added that since it is a land encroachment case, there were no plans to arrest Ravi Shankar during the probe and assured that no precipitative action would be taken against him.He maintained that once Ravi Shankar is suspected of having committed land encroachment, an investigation can be conducted in the matter. "If he says, I am not the beneficiary of these lands, I will not have a case. Let him say so. He is the founder of the trust!" he argued. "You are asking him to give evidence against himself," Justice Nagaprasanna remarked. "If I suspect, I can register a complaint and embark on an investigation," the SPP said."Exactly. You can embark on an investigation," the judge replied. "He can’t name me (Shankar) in the FIR and then start finding evidence ... There is absolutely no allegation. Except my name (in the FIR, there is nothing else against Shankar)," Shankar's counsel advocate Prasanna Kumar interjected.The Court eventually opined that interim relief can be granted to Ravi Shankar till the next date of hearing.Addressing SPP Belliappa's opposition to such an interim stay on the probe, Justice Nagaprasanna added,"I am not extinguishing the proceedings. I am only eclipsing it. Till (next hearing), let it be eclipsed. Whether it should be extinguished or not, let us see on that day ... I am not obliterating the proceedings, only interjecting it.".Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.