Bengaluru court registers criminal case against Karnataka health minister Sudhakar

An Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court in Bengaluru issued an order to register a criminal defamation case against Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar after finding a prima facie witness on his defamatory remarks against an activist.

The 42nd ACMM judge J Preethi has asked the court to register a criminal case against the minister in the BJP’s Bommai government in the state for offences under IPC Section 499, which are punishable under sections 500 and 501 of IPC.

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The judge’s order came on a private complaint by one R Anjaneya Reddy, who claims to be an activist from Chikkaballapura taluk.

Court order

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

Reddy had challenged Sudhakar’s appointment to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). Sudhakar was nominated by the state government as the chairperson of KSPCB and he assumed charges on June 20, 2019. Reddy had challenged the nomination by filing a quo-warranto writ petition in the Karnataka High Court.

Reddy alleged that the minister made defamatory remarks against him on June 27 at a public function in Maralakunte village, which were published by two prominent newspapers.

Reddy alleges ill motive

Reddy in his complaint said that “Sudhakar was having an ill motive to tarnish image and reputation.”

“He uttered defamatory words and caused intentional defamation…two papers published the above without verifying the facts to harm the reputation of the complainant and to cause permanent damage,” Reddy alleged.

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Reddy pointed out in his complaint that as “the accused has not tendered an apology to the complainant so far, the accused has committed the offence as defined under Section 499, which is punishable under Section 500 and offence under Section 501, read with Section 34 of IPC.”