Karnataka HC stays proceedings against Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan in SC/ST atrocities case

Justice S R Krishna Kumar halts legal proceedings against Senapathy Kris Gopalakrishnan and 15 others.

Published on: Jan 30, 2025, 17:31:59 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Karnataka High Court has issued a stay on the investigation and legal proceedings in an SC/ST atrocities case filed against Infosys co-founder Senapathy Kris Gopalakrishnan and 15 others. The interim relief was granted by Justice S R Krishna Kumar on Wednesday.

Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan (ANI)

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The court further ordered that until the next hearing, no further proceedings or investigations should take place against people who are named in the compliant.

The case against Gopalakrishnan and 17 faculty members was filed under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act based on allegations made by former Indian Institute of Science (IISc) professor Sanna Durgappa. He claimed that from 2010 to 2020, he was subjected to caste-based abuse and was falsely implicated in a fabricated honey-trap case. Durgappa, a member of the tribal Bovi community, alleged that the actions against him were discriminatory.

The case was registered following a court directive. Responding to the accusations and the subsequent legal stay, Gopalakrishnan expressed his disappointment. "I have always upheld principles of fairness, justice, and respect for all individuals, irrespective of their background. It is distressing that a law meant to safeguard marginalized communities is being misused to level false accusations against me," he stated.

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He clarified that while he has been associated with IISc as the Chairman of the Council since 2022, the incidents in question allegedly occurred as far back as 2014. He emphasized that IISc has well-defined policies ensuring fair and transparent investigations, which are managed by its executive leadership.

"The Hon’ble Karnataka High Court has now stayed all further proceedings and investigations against me and others under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Since the case is under judicial review, I will refrain from further comments. However, I have complete trust in the judiciary and believe that justice will prevail," Gopalakrishnan added.

(With PTI inputs)

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