Bengaluru, Apr 23 The Karnataka High Court on Thursday stayed a magisterial order directing the registration of an FIR against state Home Minister G Parameshwara and the Deputy Commissioner of Tumakuru district over their alleged involvement in a Rs 500 bet.
"The context in which the alleged offence is made out prima facie lacks mens rea (guilty mind)," Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav said while granting the stay.
During a recent state-level pre-university kabaddi tournament in Tumakuru, Dakshina Kannada defeated Vijayapura 36–26 in the boys’ final.
After presenting the prize, Parameshwara jokingly remarked, "I lost Rs 500. I had placed a bet with the Deputy Commissioner that the Vijayapura team would win."
Based on a private complaint filed by H R Nagabhushan, the 42nd Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court ordered the registration of an FIR against Parameshwara over the remark and directed the police to initiate a probe.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Parameshwara said, "It seems I cannot crack jokes."
The minister said his comment during the match was casual and not intended to promote betting.
"I said it casually during a kabaddi match. In the countryside, we sometimes speak informally. Of course, it may be wrong in the eyes of the law, but what matters is the context in which I said it," he added.
