In Brief
A public servant accused of corruption challenged his trial court's rejection of a discharge application. The Karnataka High Court quashed proceedings, holding that without a Section 65B certificate for electronic evidence (spy camera recording) at the charge-sheet stage, prosecution must fail. The Supreme Court allowed the state's appeal, holding that Section 65B certificates are required only when electronic evidence is produced at trial, not earlier. The Court also upheld the permissibility of preliminary inquiry before FIR registration in corruption cases and clarified that at the discharge stage, courts must assess whether prosecution material discloses the offence's ingredients, without conducting a mini-trial.
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