Karnataka High Court Quashes SC/ST Act Case Against Company Directors, Finds Complaint Linked to Ongoing Disciplinary Proceedings

The Karnataka High Court has quashed criminal proceedings initiated under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the Managing Director, Executive Director, and other officials of a private company, holding that the complaint appeared to have been filed as a retaliatory measure after the employer initiated disciplinary action against an employee.

The case arose from a complaint lodged by a supervisor employed with the company for nearly eighteen years. The employee alleged caste-based abuse, harassment, criminal intimidation, and other offences under the SC/ST Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Based on these allegations, an FIR was registered against senior company officials.

However, the High Court closely examined the sequence of events leading to the complaint. The Court noted that before approaching the police, the employee had been served with a show-cause notice regarding alleged negligence that reportedly caused production losses. The company subsequently appointed an Enquiry Officer and commenced departmental proceedings. The employee challenged those proceedings before an Industrial Tribunal but failed to secure interim relief. It was only thereafter that the criminal complaint was filed.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna observed that the timing and circumstances surrounding the complaint raised serious concerns. The Court found it significant that despite having worked in the company for approximately eighteen years, the complainant had not pointed to any earlier instance of caste-based abuse. The allegations surfaced only after disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him.

The Court further held that police authorities must carefully examine whether the essential ingredients of offences under the SC/ST Act are disclosed before registering a case. Referring to Supreme Court precedents, the Court reiterated that while the protections provided under the SC/ST Act are vital, criminal proceedings can be quashed when allegations do not genuinely arise from caste-based discrimination or when the legal process is being misused.

After analysing the complaint, the Court concluded that the criminal case was being used as a pressure tactic against the employer in a service-related dispute. It held that allowing the proceedings to continue would amount to an abuse of the process of law.

Accordingly, the High Court quashed the FIR and all consequential proceedings pending against the company officials.

Case: B.S. Jagadish & Others v. State of Karnataka & Another (Connected Matters)

Neutral Citation: 2026:KHC:26352

Court: Karnataka High Court

Bench: Justice M. Nagaprasanna

Decision Date: 16 June 2026