The Rajasthan High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Pramod Sharma, who is alleged to have connections with influential political circles, seeking the quashing of a First Information Report (FIR) registered against him. With the rejection of the plea, the possibility of his arrest has increased, and the police investigation is expected to proceed without hindrance.
Court Order and Legal Proceedings
The order was delivered by a single bench of Justice Umashankar Vyas, who dismissed Sharma's criminal miscellaneous petition filed under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. The petition sought to quash FIR No. 586/2025, dated July 13, 2025, registered at the Mansarovar police station in Jaipur City South. The FIR includes offences under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Petitioner's Arguments
In his petition, Sharma claimed that he had been falsely implicated in the case and asserted that he had no connection with either the Pathik Housing Cooperative Society or the Navjeevan Housing Cooperative Society, around which the land dispute revolves. He further argued that the FIR was delayed, vague, and did not assign him any specific role in the alleged offences. The plea also contended that the dispute was essentially civil in nature, involving competing claims over land situated at Badarwas village in Sanganer, Jaipur. Sharma's legal team argued that criminal proceedings were being misused to give a civil matter a criminal colour.
Prosecution's Response
Opposing the plea, senior advocate Madhav Mitra, along with advocate Girraj Prasad Sharma, submitted that although the police initially proposed a final report, the complainant approached senior officers seeking further investigation. After fresh investigation, police found substantial evidence of the accused's role and served him a notice to appear. However, he has been absconding and has now filed this petition, Mitra argued before the court. He added that Sharma is accused of criminal trespass and land grabbing, and police have substantial evidence against him.
Court's Decision
The high court declined to interfere at this stage and dismissed the petition, thereby clearing the way for continued police investigation and raising the likelihood of Sharma's arrest. The court did not find merit in the arguments that the FIR was vague or that the dispute was purely civil in nature.
Background of the Case
The case revolves around a land dispute involving the Pathik Housing Cooperative Society and the Navjeevan Housing Cooperative Society. Allegations of criminal trespass and land grabbing have been leveled against Sharma, who is said to have political connections. The police investigation, which had initially proposed a final report, was reopened after the complainant approached senior officers, leading to the discovery of additional evidence against the accused.
Sharma's legal team had argued that the FIR was an abuse of process and that the matter should be resolved through civil proceedings. However, the court's dismissal of the petition indicates that criminal proceedings will continue, and Sharma may face arrest as the investigation progresses.
