Sat Nov 30 16:43:39 UTC 2024: ## Karnataka High Court Rules Against Mandatory Written Grounds of Arrest in Most Cases

**Bengaluru, November 30, 2024** – The Karnataka High Court has ruled that the Supreme Court’s mandate to provide written grounds of arrest to those accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) does not extend to arrests under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA), or other penal laws, except in cases of preventive detention.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna delivered the ruling while dismissing a petition filed by John Moses D. alias Madan Kumar, who faces over 110 criminal cases, including charges under KCOCA. Kumar argued that his arrest did not comply with the Supreme Court’s directives in the *Pankaj Bansal*, *Prabir Purkayastha*, and *Arvind Kejriwal* cases, which established the requirement for written grounds of arrest under PMLA and UAPA.

The High Court acknowledged the Supreme Court’s precedent, noting that the stringent bail provisions under PMLA and UAPA necessitate providing written grounds of arrest to ensure fairness. However, the court reasoned that applying this requirement universally would lead to overwhelming litigation, given the vast number of criminal cases filed daily across the country. The court clarified that the information provided to the accused under Section 50 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) suffices in cases not covered by PMLA or UAPA. The ruling specifically stated that the Supreme Court’s guidelines regarding written grounds of arrest remain applicable only to arrests made under the PMLA and UAPA.

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