Jodhpur: Rajasthan High Court has quashed two FIRs registered against Hanumangarh MLA (Independent) Ganeshraj Bansal, his wife Santosh Bansal and other family members over alleged irregularities dating back to 2003 related to Hanumangarh Municipal Council and land/lease matters.Justice Ashok Kumar Jain set aside the FIRs and all consequential proceedings, noting the cases were initiated after an unexplained delay of nearly 23 years. The FIRs, registered on Sept 17 and 18, 2026, under IPC Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B, had been transferred for investigation to CID Crime Branch.Bansal and his family argued that the belated cases were driven by political pressure and retaliation amid municipal elections. Petitioners’ counsel Kunal Upadhyay argued that the lack of a satisfactory explanation for such an extraordinary delay raised suspicions regarding the intent behind the legal actions. He described the FIRs as instruments of harassment fuelled by political rivalry, particularly as they were initiated in the lead-up to municipal elections.The court held that the proceedings launched after such a prolonged period amounted to an abuse of process and observed that the FIR against Santosh Bansal over an alleged official act after 23 years indicated harassment and retaliation, with apparent personal prejudice and bias by the complainant.In pointed remarks, the court said investigating agencies must act strictly according to law and cannot function as a “puppet” at any individual’s direction, reiterating that constitutional morality and values must guide the exercise of authority and that “no one is above the law.”Following the ruling, the high court ordered immediate release of MLA Bansal, who was in custody in connection with one of the FIRs.
