Karnataka High Court Quashes Police Notice Sent via WhatsApp

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has set aside a police notice issued via WhatsApp to a student accused in a fraud case, ruling that such notices have no legal standing.

A single-judge bench of Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar delivered the order on Friday while hearing a petition filed by the student. The court cited a recent Supreme Court ruling, which stated that legal notices cannot be served through electronic communication platforms like WhatsApp under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) or the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS).

The High Court also directed the investigating officers to restart the inquiry process as per legal procedures.

The case originated from a complaint filed by Srinivas Rao M., a resident of Adugodi, who alleged that he was defrauded of ₹4.35 lakh. He had reportedly been advised to invest in the stock market and subsequently joined a WhatsApp group where he was sent links instructing him to transfer funds. Based on his complaint, the Adugodi police launched an investigation and registered an FIR against a student from Tamil Nadu under the Information Technology Act, accusing him of identity theft and financial fraud using computer devices.

As part of the probe, Adugodi police had issued a notice via WhatsApp on February 14, summoning the student for questioning. Challenging this mode of communication, the student approached the High Court, which ruled in his favour and quashed the notice.