Whether sanction is required to initiate criminal proceedings in respect of offences is the question arising for consideration in these cases. The District Registrar lodged a complaint with the Inspector of Police, CBCID on 07.07.1999. The main allegation against the respondents was that while they were working as Sub-Registrars in various offices in the State, they conspired with stamp vendors and document writers and other staff to gain monetary benefit and resorted to manipulation of registers and got the registration of the documents with old value of the properties, resulting in wrongful gain to themselves and loss to the Government, and thereby cheated the public and the Government. On the basis of the complaint, F.I.R. No. 35/1999 was registered by the appellant, and after investigation, report against 41 persons including the respondents herein, was submitted before the III Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate. The respondents raised the objection that there was no sanction and hence the proceedings could not be initiated. Learned Magistrate on 03.07.2007 passed an order holding that: "Whether the sanction is required or not to be considered during the trial and it is the burden on the complainant to prove that the accused acted beyond in discharge of their official duties and there is no nexus between the acts committed and their official duties and at this stage the question that the accused acted within their duties cannot be decided." Aggrieved, respondents moved the High Court leading to the impugned order whereby the criminal proceedings were quashed on the sole ground that there was no sanction, and hence the appeals.