The Karnataka High Court has refused to stay ongoing police investigations into rival complaints filed after a dispute at a digital service center in Puttur town, Dakshina Kannada district. The incident, which originated from an argument over a damaged birth certificate during lamination, had escalated into physical altercations and counter-FIRs involving shop owners and customers.
Observing that living in harmony is the best way of life, a single-judge bench of the High Court stressed that police investigations must proceed factually and neutrally without judicial interference at this preliminary stage. The dispute at the Darbe-based photocopy store resulted in Puttur Town police registering cases under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for attempt to murder, intentional insult, and criminal intimidation following complaints from both sides.
The legal proceedings followed public unrest in Puttur, where local activist groups had called for a town bandh demanding further police action. While the High Court declined to halt the overall police investigation, it granted interim protection from coercive action to specific petitioners while directing all involved parties to cooperate fully with law enforcement. The court reiterated that maintaining public peace and allowing statutory investigative agencies to complete their inquiry is vital for justice.
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