Judgment : Petitioners in all these petitions have sought for quashing of the proceedings in C.C.Nos.882 of 2008, 887 of 2008, 878 of 2008, 895 of 2008, 886 of 2008, 876 of 2008, 891 of 2008 and 890 of 2008 respectively pending on the file of III Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bangalore. 2. Facts of these cases are identical. A case has been registered by the Forest Department for an offence punishable under Section 73, clause (d), 64-A read with Section 104 of the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963. 3. Learned Counsel appearing for the petitioners submits that, all the offences alleged against the petitioners are non-cognizable offence and under Section 155, sub-section (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, the Police cannot investigate the matter without the necessary permission from the jurisdictional Magistrate. In this regard, he relied on the judgment of the Apex Court in the matter of Keshav Lal Thakur v State of Bihar (1996)11 SCC 557 : 1996(4) Crimes 121 (SC). He further submitted that, the matter is also covered by the decision of this Court. In addition to this, this Court by order dated 3-7-2009 in Cri.P.No.2690 of 2009 (S. Shankar v State of Karnataka and Another 2009(4) Kar. L.J. 637) and connected matters has held that, the investigation by the Police without the permission under Section 155(2) of the Cr.P.C., in respect of non-cognizable offence is illegal and has quashed the proceedings with liberty to the Forest Department to re-do in accordance with law. In the light of the above, these petitions are also required to be allowed. Accordingly, all the petitions are allowed. The proceedings in C.C.Nos.882 of 2008, 887 of 2008, 878 of 2008, 895 of 2008 886 of 2008, 876 of 2008, 891 of 2008, 887 of 2008 and 890 of 2008 respectively pending on the file of III Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bangalore stand quashed. Liberty is reserved to the Forest Department to investigate the matter in accordance with law.