Bengaluru. The Karnataka High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against two men from Dakshina Kannada district who were accused of raising slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” inside a mosque. The incident occurred on September 24, 2023, when two persons allegedly entered a mosque in Aittur village and raised slogans. After this a person named Haider Ali CM had filed a complaint.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna, who was hearing the case, raised the question that how can raising the slogan of “Jai Shri Ram” be considered an act that hurts religious sentiments? The judge cited the Supreme Court’s decision in a case and said that an action which does not disrupt peace or public order cannot be prosecuted under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to the complaint, in the CCTV footage, both the persons can be seen riding bikes and raising slogans around the mosque late at night on September 24, 2023. The complaint emphasized that Hindus and Muslims have been living in harmony in this area and the actions of the accused were an attempt to create communal differences. After the complaint, Kirtan Kumar and N. M. Sachin Kumar was charged with various offenses under sections 447, 295 A, 505 and 506 of the IPC.
The accused, however, contested the charges, arguing that no legal requirements were met for these crimes.
The court agreed with the defense’s argument and found no concrete evidence to support the allegations. The court said that entering the mosque, which is a public place, cannot be considered criminal trespass under the law.