Karnataka High Court grants bail to man accused of tampering with forensic lab report

The Karnataka High Court recently granted bail to a man accused of tampering with a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report in a case registered over the alleged murder of an ex-army officer [Kumar @ Dali v State of Karnataka].

The case involves allegations that the deceased ex-army man's wife (accused no.1) plotted to murder him along with her alleged paramour (accused no.2) to claim insurance money. The bail applicant (accused no. 10), Kumar, was accused of tampering with a report on the forensic evidence of the crime to help the prime accused after he was paid a bribe.

On September 30, Justice Venkatesh Naik T granted Kumar bail after noting his alleged role in the crime was confined to him allegedly issuing a tampered forensic report to mask the evidence.

"Whether petitioner/accused No.10 assisted in tempering with the report issued by the government scientific agency is a matter of trial and the same has to be established during the course of the evidence. The petitioner is a permanent resident of the address mentioned in the cause title of the petition and he is ready and willing to abide by the conditions to be imposed by this Court. Under these circumstances, this court is of the opinion that the petitioner may be enlarged on bail with stringent conditions," the Court added.

The murder case involves allegations that the deceased's wife took advantage of her husband's alcoholism to murder him and claim an insurance policy taken in his name by forging his signature.

She allegedly got her husband drunk and allowed him to drive a car so that he met with an accident, paving way for the wife to claim the insurance policy taken in his name.

Although the husband met with an accident, he survived and suffered minor injuries. He was admitted to a hospital. The wife's paramour is then alleged to have administered sleeping pills and poisonous substances via saline, which led to the husband's death at the hospital.

A postmortem exam was eventually conducted. The deceased's wife is alleged to have bribed a Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) Officer to prepare a report which said that her husband was sober before his death, and that his body did not contain any poison.

The wife's paramour, however, later approached the police and made a confession about his involvement in the alleged murder. He also spoke about the involvement of nine people in the crime, including the deceased man's wife. In total, ten persons were arraigned as accused persons.

The man accused of tampering with the post-mortem report (petitioner) to mask evidence of the crime eventually moved the High Court for bail. By its September 30 order, he was granted bail on various conditions.

Advocate Sachchidanand B Patil appeared for the petitioner.

High Court Government Pleader Praveena Y Devareddiyavara appeared for the State.

[Read Order]