Bengaluru court orders FIR against Home Minister G Parameshwara and Deputy Commissioner Shubha Kalyan for betting ₹500 on a Kabaddi match

A court in Bengaluru has directed the police to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara and Deputy Commissioner Shubha Kalyan for allegedly placing a ₹500 bet during a kabaddi competition in Tumakuru last year. The 42nd Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate KN Shivakumar in Bengaluru ordered the Kodigehalli Police Station to register the FIR.

The court’s order, issued on Tuesday, came after a private complaint was filed by one H.R. Nagabushan. The complaint stated that the State Home Minister and the Tumkur Deputy Commissioner were involved in illegal betting at the Kabaddi competition held in Tumakuru City on 19^th October 2025.

The court found a prima facie case based on reports published in vernacular newspapers. The police had previously dismissed a complaint in the matter as “baseless and lacking evidence.” The magistrate criticised the police for arriving at this conclusion and failing to properly examine available material.

According to the court’s observations, the minister and the deputy commissioner had placed the ₹500 bet against the Dakshina Kannada District Team in the kabaddi event held in Tumakuru. When the Dakshina Kannada team won the game, Minister Parameshwara publicly stated to the media that he had lost the bet.

In its order, the magistrate noted: “Further, on perusal of the endorsement given by the PSI, Kodigehalli Police Station, it appears that said police have neither considered the reports of Newspapers nor appears to have summoned any documents / evidences from the complainant before giving such an endorsement as to the complaint is baseless and lack of evidence.”

The court also found that after the Kabbadi competition was over, Parameshwara and Shubha Kalyan had given statements about their betting to the Media, whereby they had instigated the public at large to involve in such illegal betting activities.

The court’s order stated, “Hence, I hereby refer this complaint U/Sec. 175(3) of BNSS, 2023 to the SHO, Kodigehalli Police station, Kodigehalli, Koratagere Taluk, Tumakuru District for investigation.” Section 175(3) of BNSS empowers a Magistrate to order a police investigation into cognizable offenses.

The court further clarified that even though accused 1 is an MLA and Home Minister of State, and accused 2 is Deputy Commissioner of Tumakuru District, no prior sanction from the government or concerned authority is required to proceed, as the alleged offences were not committed in the discharge of the officials’ official duties.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on April 30, 2026.