The FIR in question was registered by the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force police following directions issued in the PIL before the high court. (Express Photo: Rohit Jain Paras)The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday reserved its order on a petition filed by spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who sought that a First Information Report (FIR) registered against him for allegedly encroaching on public land in Bengaluru be quashed.Justice M Nagaprasanna reserved the order after hearing both sides. “Order is reserved, interim order subsisting would continue till disposal of the petition,” the bench said. The court had stayed further investigation in the case by way of an interim order.In the interim order dated January 13, the court had said, “A perusal at the complaint would prima facie indicate no allegations against this petitioner. Without any allegations, the petitioner cannot be drawn into the web of crime, unless the learned Special Public Prosecutor would place on record something to indicate that the petitioner is directly involved in certain acts, on the next date of hearing.” The order, therefore, held that “investigation qua the petitioner shall remain stayed, till the next date of hearing”.How Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was named accusedSri Sri Ravi Shankar was arraigned as a respondent in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that alleged large-scale encroachment of public land, including construction over a rajakaluve (storm water drain connecting lakes) in areas falling under Kaggalipura village, Uttarahalli Hobli, Bengaluru South Taluk.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was subsequently named as an accused in a case registered last year under Section 192A of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, which prescribes imprisonment and fine for unlawful occupation of government land.The FIR in question was registered by the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force police following directions issued in the PIL before the high court.‘Please allow investigation to continue’Public Prosecutor B A Belliappa submitted to the court that the investigation process had commenced. The tahsildar has submitted a report about the alleged encroachment, and it is within the premises of the ashram of which the petitioner is a trustee, he added. “The investigation cannot be scuttled at this stage,” he said.Story continues below this ad“We will not trouble him (Ravi Shankar). An interim order has already been passed by the court. The court may allow the investigation to continue, and after completion, one way or the other, a report will be filed before the appropriate court,” he added.Senior Advocate S Sriranga, appearing for the petitioner, contended that the present proceedings (registration of FIR) only trigger is that somebody filed a PIL and in that there was a direction to take action in accordance with law and the direction was to R1, 2, 3 (state tahsildar and other authorities) to look into the matter.Further, he pointed out that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was not the trustee of the said trust wherein the alleged encroachment is alleged. There is no allegation made against him in the complaint and the FIR registered, except for naming him in the complaint because of a PIL.After hearing the parties, the court reserved its order.