Cops file FIR over threat to kill Karnataka High Court judges

The press relations officer of the High Court of Karnataka has lodged a complaint about threats to the lives of several judges, including himself.

Published on: Jul 25, 2023, 14:45:20 IST

By Yamini C S

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After receiving threats to the lives of judges in Karnataka, cops from the Central CEN Crime Police Station in Bengaluru filed a First Information Report (FIR) against some unidentified people on July 14.

Police said the messages, which demanded a ransom of ₹50 lakh to be paid to a bank account in Pakistan, have come from a “Dubai gang”.

K Muralidhar, the press relations officer of the High Court of Karnataka, first registered a complaint with the police after getting messages on WhatsApp that threatened the lives of multiple HC judges including himself, news agency PTI reported.

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He filed the complaint on July 14, two days after getting threat messages on his official mobile number - given to him by the High Court - from an unknown international number, police said on Monday.

The threat messages were sent in multiple languages, including Hindi, Urdu and English. They reportedly threatened to take the lives of Muralidhar and six other judges of the High Court, namely Justice Mohammed Nawaz, Justice HT Narendra Prasad, Justice HP Sandesh, Justice K Natarajan and retired judges Justice B Veerappa and Justice Ashok G Nijagannavar.

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Police officials told the agency that the messages demanded a ransom of ₹50 lakh, directing the judges to pay the amount to a bank account based in Pakistan. It also listed five “suspicious” mobile phone numbers along with the threat. Cops added that the threats have come from a “Dubai gang”.

In this light, the police department registered the FIR on July 14 under Sections 506, 507 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 75 and 66(F) of the Information Technology Act. The FIR has also been submitted before the 1st Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court. Cops are on the lookout for the unknown suspects and further probe is in progress.

(With inputs from PTI)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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