Karnataka High Court Stays State Order Withdrawing Criminal Cases, Including Aland Riots Cases

On July 2, 2026, a Karnataka High Court Division Bench stayed a State Government order directing Public Prosecutors to withdraw prosecution in 52 criminal cases — including those arising out of the 2022 Aland Ladle Mashak Dargah riots in Kalaburagi district.

The stay, issued in the PIL Girish Bharadwaj vs State of Karnataka, directly freezes a Government Order (GO) dated May 27, 2026, according to Bar & Bench.

Background: How We Got Here

The Aland riots trace back to March 1, 2022, when BJP workers sought to perform a purification ritual of a Shivalinga inside the Ladle Mashak Dargah in Aland taluk, alleging desecration. The incident sparked communal violence, leading to the registration of multiple criminal cases.

On May 21, 2026, the Karnataka Cabinet — under then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah — decided to withdraw prosecution in 52 criminal cases, per the Daily Pioneer. A formal GO was issued on May 27, 2026, directing Public Prosecutors to move applications under Section 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973.

• At least seven to eight of the 52 cases were directly connected to rioting in Aland, Kalaburagi district, according to the Daily Pioneer.
• The cases proposed for withdrawal also included those registered against farmers, pro-Kannada activists, Cauvery water agitators, and Kalasa-Banduri protesters, as reported by the Daily Pioneer.
• Offences across the 52 cases include unlawful assembly, rioting, criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between groups, assault on public servants, attempt to murder, and damage to public property, per Bar & Bench.

This is not the first such intervention by the Karnataka High Court. In May 2025, the court had set aside a similar GO that sought withdrawal of prosecution in 43 criminal cases, including those arising from the Hubballi riots, as reported by Bar & Bench.

Advocate Girish Bharadwaj filed the current PIL challenging the May 27, 2026 GO. The case was heard by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha, per LiveLaw.

The Ruling — Key Findings

The Division Bench prima facie found the GO of May 27, 2026 contrary to the court’s earlier directions on the proper legal process for withdrawing prosecutions under Section 321 CrPC, according to ANI and the Deccan Chronicle.

The court was unambiguous in its oral observations to the State. As reported by Bar & Bench, the Bench told the State:

“You take whatever time you want, but this order won’t be implemented.”

The court’s formal order was equally direct. It recorded: “In view of the above, the impugned order dated 27.05.2026 is stayed till the next date of hearing.”

The Bench issued notices to the State’s Home Department and Directorate of Prosecution, directing them to file responses within two weeks, per Bar & Bench and the Daily Pioneer.

The court also noted the precedent from its May 2025 ruling, where a similar government notification covering the Hubballi riots cases had been struck down for failing to follow proper legal process, as reported by Bar & Bench.

Health Minister UT Khader was impleaded as a respondent in his individual capacity. However, the Bench declined to issue formal notice to him at this stage, according to Bar & Bench.

Reactions & What’s Next

Senior Advocate Venkatesh Dalwai appeared for petitioner Girish Bharadwaj, while Additional Advocate General Taranath Pujari represented the State, as confirmed by Bar & Bench.

The petitioner has also sought that the court frame binding guidelines governing the exercise of the power of withdrawal of prosecution under Section 321 CrPC and its corresponding provision, Section 360 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, applicable to the State and all its agencies, per the Daily Pioneer.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on September 28, 2026, according to Bar & Bench. Until then, the May 27, 2026 GO stands stayed — meaning no withdrawal of any of the 52 cases can proceed.