Karnataka High Court restrains misuse of settlements and police overreach in land disputes

The Karnataka High Court dismissed a petition seeking to overturn a three‑year‑old compromise decree in a property dispute, describing the challenge as an abuse of the legal process. Justice Suraj Govindaraj imposed a ₹25,000 cost order on the petitioner and warned that litigants should not renegotiate settlements after receiving their benefits.

In a related ruling, the court ordered police to exercise restraint when probing civil disputes over title deeds, revenue entries, powers of attorney or sale deeds. Justice M. Nagaprasanna quashed criminal proceedings against advocate S. Rajendra, noting that “there is a complete absence of even an iota of criminality” and emphasizing that criminal law should not be used as a weapon in civil contests.