Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday quashed the cognizance taken by a special court for prevention of corruption cases against Mangala Shridhar, member of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), in a case of alleged corruption in the process of recruitment to Gazetted Probationers’ posts, group A and B, of the 2011 batch.
Justice Anand Byrareddy passed the order while holding that the special court was not right in cognizance without sanction for prosecution from the competent authority, the President of India, who has the power to appoint and remove the chairperson and members of the commission, as per Article 317 of the Constitution.
The CID, which had probed the case on the government’s complaint, had filed charge sheet by taking prior permission from the Governor. However, the court said that the President of India is the competent authority for granting sanction for prosecution.
Meanwhile, the court has reserved the liberty to the CID for prosecuting Mangala Shridhar by taking sanction from the competent authority.
