Karnataka High Court Cancels Case Against Infosys Co-Founder Kris Gopalakrishnan
By : Sandhya
The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a FIR filed against Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan and others under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The complaint was deemed "an abuse of the process of law" and the complainant can now face criminal contempt proceedings. Justice Hemant Chandangoudar, who issued the ruling on April 16, described the complaint as a "vexatious attempt to harass the petitioners."
The FIR was based on a private complaint filed by D Sanna Durgappa, a former faculty member of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) who was fired in 2014 after an internal investigation into sexual harassment claims. The court noted that the termination was later converted to resignation after a challenge before the High Court in 2015. Durgappa agreed, as part of the settlement, to remove all complaints and legal proceedings against the institution and its representatives.
Despite this, he filed two additional FIRs, both of which were quashed in 2022 and 2023. The current FIR, the court noted, contained similar claims and was an abuse of judicial process. Kris Gopalakrishnan responded to the decision, saying, "I have complete faith in our courts and the justice system." This decision underscores that misusing legal provisions is unacceptable in a fair and just society. I am happy that the Hon'ble High Court saw through the lies and maintained the truth.