VENUGOPAL REDDY M. Vs. STATE AND ORS.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioners in the above said writ petitions have called in question the registration of FIR by the Inspector of Police, Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), Chikkaballapura District, in Crime No.4/2016 dated 16.09.2016.

(2.) The brief factual matrix of the case necessary for disposal of these petitions are that, on the basis of the order passed by the Upa-Lokayuktha and in pursuance of issuance of search warrant, the Lokayuktha police have raided a place i.e., RTO Check Post situated at Bagepalli in Chikkaballapur District. In the presence of panch witnesses, they have conducted search of the said check post and found that, the petitioners by names Varadaraju G., R.S.Kumar and Srinath were present in that particular place. On the basis of the allegations that the persons who were working in the said check post were collecting illegal gratification from the drivers of different vehicles, it appears the said check was made by the Lokayuktha police. At the time of raid, they found that those three persons were present and one Srinath had told that a driver of a lorry had come to him and paid an amount of Rs.3,000/-.

(3.) During the course of search, the RTO Inspector found that, Srinath was having Rs.52,420/- in his pocket, which was not properly accounted. Another person by name Varadaraju was found with an amount of Rs.41,500/-. The said amounts were against the amount which they had declared when they entered into the said check post. Therefore, the Lokayuktha Police found that these amounts must have been received as bribe by these persons and as such they have submitted a search report. On the basis of the said search report, FIR has been registered by the ACB, Chikkaballapur District.