The Supreme Court has cancelled the anticipatory bail granted to IPS officer Srinath M. Joshi in a case involving alleged extortion carried out in the names of Lokayukta officials, directing him to surrender before the police within three weeks.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjiv Khanna passed the direction while hearing a special leave petition filed by the Karnataka Lokayukta police seeking cancellation of Joshi’s anticipatory bail. Joshi has been named as the second accused in the case.
The case concerns allegations that extortion activities were conducted using the names of Lokayukta officers. The Lokayukta told the Supreme Court that Joshi had remained in continuous contact with Ningappa Sawant, a former head constable who was dismissed from service and is the first accused in the case.
Appearing for the Lokayukta, advocate Vikram Hegde submitted that supporting evidence had been found regarding the contact between the two accused. He described the allegations against them as serious and told the court that records also indicated that the alleged extortion money had been invested in cryptocurrencies.
Joshi’s lawyers disputed the allegations. They argued that the Lokayukta police had not produced supporting material to show that Joshi had directed Ningappa Sawant to contact government officials. They also submitted that a search of Joshi’s residence had not resulted in the recovery of any significant documents and that Joshi had not responded to messages sent by Ningappa.
During the hearing, the bench questioned the meaning of the term “K.G.” appearing in chats between Ningappa and Joshi. The lawyers representing Joshi were unable to provide what the court considered an adequate explanation, according to the report.
The bench observed that acts of this nature could not be tolerated when allegedly committed by officers holding senior positions. The observation came as the court considered the Lokayukta’s plea against the protection from arrest previously available to Joshi.
Ningappa G., also known as Ningappa Sawant, who was a former head constable from Talikatte in Holalkere taluk, had been arrested in the case. Following his arrest, Joshi was released from his position as Superintendent of Police of Bengaluru City-1 in the Lokayukta police division.
The Supreme Court’s direction does not determine the final guilt or innocence of the accused. It removes Joshi’s anticipatory bail protection and requires him to surrender to the police within three weeks, allowing the investigation to proceed under the applicable criminal procedure. The allegations and the evidence presented in the case will be examined through the subsequent legal process.
