Karnataka High Court quashes FIR against former V-C of Bengaluru North University Niranjana Vanalli

Karnataka High Court quashes FIR against former Bengaluru North University V-C Niranjana Vanalli, citing procedural errors by the sessions court.

The High Court of Karnataka has quashed the First Information Report (FIR) registered against Niranjana Vanalli, the then Vice-Chancellor of Bengaluru North University on the direction of a sessions court in Kolar based on a private complaint lodged by a former guest faculty of the varsity.

The sessions court, the High Court said, erred in two ways as the latter had not afforded an opportunity of hearing the accused before taking cognisance of the offences under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and it could not have ordered investigation into the offence of defamation.

However, the High Court has now directed the sessions court to act as per the law treating the complaint afresh while setting aside the order of referring the complaint for investigation and quashing the FIR.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order while partly allowing the Mr. Vanalli’s petition.

The sessions court in June, 2025, directed the Gulpet police in Kolar to register an FIR and conduct investigation after taking cognisance of alleged offences under Section 3(1)(q) and (u) of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and under Section 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Suraksha Sanhita (BNS) based on the complaint lodged by Manjunatha R.

The complaint was lodged after he was terminated from the service on the recommendation of the varsity’s syndicate.