BENGALURU The Karnataka High Court has quashed proceedings in two drug cases against Viren Khanna, a Delhi-based event manager and socialite, citing procedural mistakes by the Bengaluru police who filed the complaints against him.

While issuing the judgment on Friday, Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar emphasised that not only the FIR but also the charge sheet against the petitioner must be annulled. Khanna alleged that he was named as the fifth defendant in FIR 508/2018, which was filed in connection with the seizure of narcotics on November 2, 2018.

Khanna also stated that he was implicated as accused number 4 based on comments made by another accused Ravishankar in the Cottonpet police station's FIR number 109/2020. His lawyer contended that the two alleged instances were separate offences for which police should have filed separate FIRs.

According to the court, if all of the offences cannot be treated jointly under CrPC Section 219, the police might file separate cases and charge sheets. It went on to say that for violations allegedly committed in 2015, 2018, and 2019, one FIR would suffice. The last time petitioner was seen was on March 8, 2020, during a party held at a five-star hotel, according to the charging sheet.

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