'Chase real crimes, not missing cows': Karnataka HC scolds police
What's the story
The Karnataka High Court on Monday slammed the state police for focusing on minor issues instead of serious crimes. Justice M Nagaprasanna was irked that a case was registered over two cows going missing two years ago. "You leave the cows' investigation. Go behind the real crimes," he said, questioning why such a case was registered when more serious offenses go unregistered.
Case details
Court stayed further investigation in the case
The court was hearing a plea from a family to quash a criminal case against them for the 2024 incident of two missing cows. The judge went on to say that when it came to acting on more serious offenses, the police were not as proactive. "Real crimes, you don't register. They (complainants) have to knock at the police station's door a 100 times to register real crime. Two cows went missing...and a crime was registered," he commented.
Judge
'Police's actions amounted to abuse of legal process'
The judge observed that the police's actions amounted to an abuse of legal process and stayed further investigation in the case. "In 2024, two cows go missing. The entire family is roped into the web of crime registered in the year 2026 because the cows were not traced. If this would be permitted, this would become an abuse of the process of law on the face of it," he said while staying further action in the matter.
Previous remarks
HC's earlier remarks on Karnataka police
The court's remarks come after it had earlier criticized the Karnataka Police for focusing on investigating live-in relationships rather than real crimes. This was during a hearing on actor Ranveer Singh's plea to quash a case against him. When a lawyer argued that the police were powerful enough to protect Singh from any possible threats during his visit to the Chamundi temple, Justice Nagaprasanna replied, "So powerful that they go behind live-in relationships...Real crime is not being investigated only."