Bangalore: A local court on Thursday dismissed a private complaint filed against three former ministers for allegedly viewing porn clippings on mobile phones during assembly proceedings earlier this year, holding that they were sitting MLAs and enjoyed immunity.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Venkatesh Hulagi dismissed the complaint on the grounds that Lakshman Savadi, CC Patil and Krishna Palemar were protected by parliamentary privileges and enjoyed immunity.

Meanwhile, advocate Dharamal Gowda, who filed the complaint, said he would file a revision petition in the sessions court.

On February 15, the Vidhana Soudha (state secretariat) Police filed an affidavit in a local court saying that the complaint was “not maintainable” as the complainant had not taken any permission from the Speaker of Legislative Assembly before filing it.

They submitted that since the incident took place inside the Assembly hall and all the three former ministers are sitting MLAs, “permission of the Speaker is necessary and mandatory. And since the permission has not been sought, the complaint is “not maintainable”.

On February 13, the court had directed the police to investigate the complaint and submit a report by February 27.

 The Speaker KG Bopaiah subsequently had served notices on the three seeking their reply.

Savadi, Patil and Palemar resigned as ministers after the scandal evoked public outrage.