The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a criminal case against two individuals who were accused of chanting “Jai Shri Ram” slogans inside a mosque. Justice M. Nagaprasanna, leading a single-judge bench, ruled that such slogans do not harm the religious sentiments of any community, raising questions about the basis for the charges. This decision was reported by the news agency IANS.
Charges Against the Accused
The accused faced multiple charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including accusations of outraging religious feelings, criminal trespass, making statements conducive to public mischief, and criminal intimidation.
The court highlighted that the complainant recognized the harmonious coexistence of Hindus and Muslims in the area. The bench stated that allowing further proceedings would constitute an abuse of the legal process. Citing a Supreme Court ruling, the court reinforced that not every act falls under Section 295A of the IPC.
“Section 295A deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs. It is not understandable as to how if someone shouts ‘Jai Shri Ram’ it would outrage the religious feeling of any class,” the court said in its order, according to Live Law.
“When the complainant himself states that Hindu – Muslims are living in harmony in the area the incident by no stretch of imagination can result in antimony.” the court added.
The Incident
The accused were reportedly involved in an incident on September 24, 2023, around 10:50 PM, where they allegedly entered a mosque and shouted “Jai Shri Ram” slogans while making threats. Initially described as unknown individuals, they were subsequently arrested. However, the accused contested the allegations and filed an appeal, leading to the case being dismissed by the court.
Earlier this year, two professors at a university in Uttar Pradesh were suspended for allegedly giving marks to DPharm students who wrote “Jai Shri Ram,” names of cricketers, and other unrelated content instead of providing proper answers.
