The Karnataka High Court has stayed further investigation into two criminal cases registered against a Bengaluru-based doctor who reported to authorities that certain individuals were allegedly residing in India without valid immigration documents. The court questioned the manner in which the police acted and directed the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) to place the immigration status of the individuals on record.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the interim order on July 28, 2026, while hearing petitions filed by Dr. Nagendra, who challenged two FIRs registered against him at Bellandur and Varthur police stations. The matter has been posted for further hearing on August 6, 2026.
According to submissions before the court, Dr. Nagendra informed the police on July 22, 2026, about individuals whom he believed were residing in Bengaluru without valid immigration documents.
The court was told that shortly after the investigating officer informed the FRRO about the alleged immigration status of one of the individuals, criminal complaints were filed against Dr. Nagendra. Two FIRs were subsequently registered, and the doctor was arrested before being released on bail the following day.
Finding that the material placed before it raised a prima facie concern regarding the sequence of events, the High Court stayed further investigation in both criminal cases until further orders.
During the hearing, the High Court questioned whether the police had carried out adequate verification before registering the criminal cases.
The bench asked the State Public Prosecutor to explain how the FIRs were registered without sufficient examination of the allegations and sought clarification on how the petitioner was taken into custody based on a complaint that appeared, at least prima facie, to require closer scrutiny.
The court also directed that the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) be impleaded as a respondent and submit a status report regarding the immigration status of the individuals involved.
According to the State's submissions, the complainants alleged that Dr. Nagendra had assaulted them. The State also informed the court that the individuals had been produced before the FRRO and shifted to a detention centre.
The High Court noted that the sequence of events presented before it required careful examination.
According to the court proceedings reported by multiple media outlets, the investigating officer informed the FRRO about the complainants' alleged immigration status shortly before an assault case was registered against Dr. Nagendra at approximately 11:45 p.m. on July 22, a timeline the court considered significant while hearing the matter.
Questioning the police's approach, Justice Nagaprasanna observed:
"There cannot be a better illustration of abuse of process of law at the hands of police."
According to media reports of the hearing, the court also remarked that when citizens report suspected cases of illegal immigration to the authorities, criminal cases should not be registered against them without proper verification of the surrounding circumstances.
"It is high time the system stops supporting illegal immigrants by way of registering crimes against persons who only identified them."
The court further observed that the State must address illegal immigration in accordance with the law while ensuring that criminal complaints are investigated fairly and with due diligence.
As part of the interim order, the High Court directed the FRRO to place on record the status of the individuals whose immigration status had been questioned.
The court will take up the matter again on August 6, 2026, when it is expected to consider the FRRO's response and hear further submissions from the parties.
Until then, the stay on further investigation into both FIRs against Dr. Nagendra will remain in force.
(Rh/ARC/MSM)