Karnataka HC quashes FIR against Siddhanth Kapoor in 2022 Bengaluru drug case

The Karnataka High Court recently quashed a first information report (FIR) filed against actor Siddhanth Kapoor and two others in the 2022 Bengaluru rave party drug case [Siddhanth Kapoor v State of Karnataka].

The case involved allegations that Kapoor had consumed drugs at the party in 2022, which the actor denied. He filed a plea the same year to quash the FIR.

In a July 9 ruling, Justice M Nagaprasanna found that the prosecution was based solely on an unreliable urine test conducted by a private laboratory without mandatory confirmatory tests. 

The Court held that there were procedural deficiencies in the way the blood and urine samples were handled by the private hospital, instead of a designated Central Government regional forensic lab.

The Court proceeded to allow Kapoor's petition and quash the 2022 FIR and consequential proceedings.

Kapoor, son of Bollywood actor Shakthi Kapoor and brother of actress Shraddha Kapoor, was arrested in June 2022 in the said case, but released on bail a day later since no drugs were found on his person.

The case arose from a police raid conducted at a hotel in Bengaluru in June 2022, during which Kapoor and others were detained on suspicion of consuming narcotic and psychotropic substances.

The police alleged that Kapoor's urine sample tested positive for cocaine and cannabis (ganja). Kapoor denied the allegations, maintaining that he had not knowingly consumed any drugs.

The High Court has now quashed the proceedings against Kapoor and two co-accused, Akhil Soni and Harjot Singh, after noting that the prosecution's case was based solely on an unconfirmed urine screening report from a private laboratory.

Advocate H Malatesh appeared for Siddhanth Kapoor.

Advocate Suraj Sampath appeared for the other petitioners.

Special Public Prosecutor BN Jagadeesha and High Court Government Pleader Deepthi Alva appeared for the State.

[Read Order]