The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday (25th March) quashed an FIR filed against Art of Living Foundation head and spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar over the allegations of encroachment. A Bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna allowed the petition filed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar seeking the quashing of the FIR, which was filed by the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF).
Granting the relief to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the High Court stated that none of the observations made in the course of the order would apply to other accused or any pending proceedings before any other forum. Earlier, on March 3, 2026, the High Court had reserved its order on Ravi Shankar’s plea seeking the quashing of the FIR. In January this year, the High Court stayed the investigation against spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in connection with the land encroachment case. A single Bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna ordered the stay, observing that, prima facie, there appeared to be nothing on record to implicate the spiritual Guru.
The FIR against Sri Sri Ravi Shankar alleged an offence punishable under Section 192A of the (Offences and Penalties) of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964. The FIR arose from a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in 2023 by Chandra Sekaran N and some others. The PIL sought the demolition of some structures, which were alleged to have been erected by encroaching on government land in Kaggalipura village, Uttarahalli Hobli, Bengaluru South Taluk.
In September last year, the court disposed of the PIL and directed the State to take action against the encroachers as per the law. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar denied owning any land in the area and said that he was maliciously implicated in the case. He apprised the court that in a memo by the State counsel in the PIL, his name did not feature in the list of alleged encroachers. He further submitted that he was also not mentioned in related proceedings initiated by a Land Grabbing Court in 2024.
