FIR Against Infosys Co-Founder and IISc Director, Labels Complaint ‘Harassment’

The Karnataka High Court has nullified the FIR filed against Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, IISc Director Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, and 14 others under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The complaint was lodged by Dr. D Sanna Durgappa, a former professor at the Centre for Sustainable Technologies.

Justice Hemant Chandangoudar, delivering the ruling, upheld the plea submitted by Gopalakrishnan and others, questioning the legality of the FIR filed by Sadashivanagar Police. The court also allowed the petitioners the right to approach the Advocate General to seek consent for initiating criminal contempt proceedings against Durgappa.

The court observed that the third complaint, similar to earlier ones but with the addition of two more accused (institution’s legal advisors), was a misuse of judicial process. It described the complaint as a deliberate attempt to intimidate and trouble the petitioners, asserting that the accusations did not fall within the scope of offences under the SC/ST Act.

Previously, Durgappa was dismissed following a departmental probe on charges of sexual misconduct. He challenged the decision, which was later settled through a joint agreement converting the termination to voluntary resignation, allowing him terminal benefits.

As part of the settlement, Durgappa had consented to withdraw all related legal and administrative proceedings. Despite this, he filed two more complaints under Section 200 CrPC, prompting some of the accused to challenge the FIR through separate writ petitions in court.

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