Court orders registration of case against Karnataka Health Minister

Bengaluru, November 24

A Special Court here has ordered for the registration of a criminal case against the Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on finding prima facie evidence that he had defamed an activist.

“This court is of the considered opinion that the complainant has made out sufficient grounds for proceeding against the accused for offences under Section 499 of IPC which is punishable under Section 500 of IPC and the offence under Section 501, R/w section 34 of IPC,” the XLII Additional Magistrate Court which is a Special Court of trial of cases against sitting and former legislators said in its order on November 15.

The private complaint was filed by R Anjaneya Reddy from Chikkaballapura taluk. It came up before Judge Preeth J.

The complainant Reddy claimed to be a social worker who had fought for irrigation schemes.

When Sudhakar was appointed as the chairperson of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board on June 20, 2019, Reddy had challenged this in the High Court of Karnataka.

The allegation is that Sudhakar on June 27 at a public function in Maralukunte village uttered defamatory statements against Reddy.

This was published in two prominent newspapers.

The complaint by Reddy said Sudhakar had ill-will against him and uttered defamatory statements against him in a public function. He had issued legal notices to Sudhakar and the two newspapers but they have not tendered a public apology.

Ordering the registration of a criminal complaint, the court said that “on going through the complaint averments and the sworn statement of the complainant prima-facie, it goes to show that the complainant is defamed.