SRIKANTH L GHOTNEKAR Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present petition has been filed by petitioner nos.l to 5/ accused nos.l, 2, 3, 5 and 6 who have been arrayed pursuant to the FIR registered in Crime No.30/2022 by the Haliyal Police.

(2.) The complaint made to the PSI, Haliyal makes out a case that the complainant is a contractor and in the year 2021 work order was granted to the complainant by Malanad Development Authority to carry out certain civil works and in specific, to lay the slabs at Kshatriya Maratha Bhavan, Haliyal Taluk.

(3.) It is further narrated that accused rto.l being the President of Kshatriya Maratha Bhavan, by collecting donations from the public had put up the slabs at Kshatriya Maratha Bhavan. Subsequently, an amount of Rs.3.71 Lakhs is stated to have been remitted to the account of the complainant. It is narrated in the complaint that accused no.l had called upon the complainant on 2-3 occasions to pay the said amount and the complainant had refused to hand over the money stating that work was not yet completed. It is further made out that finally on 18/2/2022 at about 2.00 p.m., the complainant was called to the Maratha Bhavan at Haliyal and he was threatened and at that point of time, along with the complainant there were 5 persons. It is alleged that the complainant was forcibly taken into the car belonging to the first accused by the other accused and was taken to Laxman Palace Lodge. It is further narrated that he was surrounded and forcibly made to make a cheque in the name of accused no.2 for a sum of Rs.3,33,900.00 in his own handwriting. This cheque was kept with the second petitioner who is accused no.2 and all the accused have threatened the complainant. Subsequently, the complaint was filed ana FIR has been registered in Crime No.30/2022 for the offences punishable under Ss. 506, 384, 363 r/w 149 of IPC. Anticipatory Bail petition filed by the petitioner nc.i came to be rejected.