THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE G.V.SEETHAPATHY CRIMINAL PETITION No.5919 OF 2011 DATED: 26.07.2011 ORDER: This petition is filed under Section 482 of Cr.P.C., for quashing further proceedings in Cr.No.243 of 2010 of Kurnool III Town police station, Kurnool District, against the petitioner herein-A2. 2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the 1st respondent-State. Perused the records. 3. On the report of the Inspector of police, Kurnool III Town police station, a case was registered in Cr.No.243 of 2010 under Sections 3,4, 5, 6 and 7 of the Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act. Investigation is stated to be pending. The case was registered on the basis of the panchanama, which is stated to have been drafted when the lodge premises owned by the petitioner-A2 was inspected and some persons caught red-handed, while committing the alleged offences, were arrested. 4. A perusal of the panchanama would disclose that on reliable information, the Inspector of police, Kurnool III Town police station along with mediators raided certain rooms in Devi lodge situated in Bhagyanagar, Kurnool Town and found the male and female persons named in the panchanama indulging in the commission of the alleged offences and apprehended them in the presence of the mediators. It is further stated that the Manager of the lodge by name Suresh was also arrested. Petitioner-A2 is stated to be the owner of the lodge. The plea of the petitioner is that he was not aware of the activities going on in the lodge and he used to visit the lodge only once or twice in the month to verify the accounts and pay salaries and other maintenance expenses and therefore he cannot be held responsible for the offences alleged to have been committed in the lodge by the persons, who are named in the panchanama. The question as to whether or not the alleged illegal activities going on in the lodge were to the knowledge of the petitioner is a matter to be considered after completion of the investigation, but not at this stage. Being the owner of the lodge, petitioner cannot prima facie disown the responsibility for the consequence of any illegal activity being committed in the lodge premises. The role of the petitioner, if any, in the commission of the said offences has to be ascertained only during the course of investigation. At this stage, while the investigation is still pending and having regard to the nature of the offences alleged, it is considered not a fit case to invoke the inherent powers of the Court and quash further proceedings against the petitioner-A2 in Cr.No.243 of 2010. There are no valid or justifiable grounds to quash the proceedings against the petitioner- A2. 5. In the result, Criminal Petition is dismissed. _______________________ G.V.SEETHAPATHY, J 26th July, 2011 Tsy