Karnataka High Court quashes FIR against Sri Ravi Shankar on land encroachment allegations

In a relief to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, the High Court of Karnataka quashed a first information report (FIR) registered suo motu against him by the Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) in September 2025, alleging encroachment on certain government land and a portion of Rajakaluve by him and others.

“There is not even an iota of allegation against the petitioner for land grabbing or encroachment... The proceedings, if permitted to continue, would become an abuse of the process of law against the petitioner and result in miscarriage of justice,” observed Justice M. Nagaprasanna while allowing the petition filed by Mr. Shankar.

Named as respondent

The BMTF appeared to have named Mr. Shankar in the FIR solely because he was named as a respondent in a PIL petition, filed before a division bench of the Court against a real estate firm and others on the issue of encroachment of government lands, the Court said, while pointing out that the FIR lacked necessary legal ingredients to sustain a charge under Section 192A of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964.

Pointing out that the complaint contained no specific allegations or overt act against Mr. Shankar, the Court said that registration of a crime is a serious matter against any citizen and it cannot be registered without there being any prima facie material. “Prima facie material cannot be gathered during investigation,” it added.

Backdrop of case

The backdrop of registration of the crime was an order passed on September 9, 2025, by a division bench of the Court while disposing of a PIL petition, filed in 2023 by Chandrashekhar N. and others. The PIL had asked the authorities to take action as per the law on encroachment of government land, as a report submitted to the court by the tahsildar indicated encroachment of certain portion of lands in construction of an apartment complex by a real estate firm and others. Though there were no specific allegations made against Mr. Shankar, he was named as respondent number-5 in the petition.

It was brought to the court’s notice that Mr. Shankar neither owns any property nor is in illegal occupation of any government lands on survey numbers 160, 164/1, 164/2, 150 and 137, situated at Kaggalipura Village, Uttarahalli Hobli, Bengaluru South taluk. The tahsildar’s report has named him in the report on alleged encroachments, the court was informed.