High Court Clears Infosys Co-Founder Gopalakrishnan, Labels FIR as Judicial Abuse

The Karnataka High Court quashed an FIR against Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, calling the complaint an abuse of process. The FIR was filed by D Sanna Durgappa, a former IISc faculty member, alleging false implications. The court labeled the allegations as civil, not criminal, and allowed criminal contempt proceedings.

The Karnataka High Court has quashed an FIR against Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, deeming the complaint an abuse of the legal process. Justice Hemant Chandangoudar identified the complaint as a vexatious attempt to harass the petitioners and granted liberty to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against the complainant.

The FIR originated from a complaint by D Sanna Durgappa, a former IISc faculty member, terminated in 2014 following sexual harassment allegations. Durgappa alleged false implication and casteist abuse. Despite a settlement in 2015 that converted his termination to resignation, he filed further FIRs in subsequent years, all later quashed.

Kris Gopalakrishnan expressed gratitude towards the judgment, emphasizing the importance of justice. The court ruled that the FIR did not warrant charges under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and was essentially a civil matter misrepresented as criminal.

(With inputs from agencies.)