Attack on Dalit writer Kancha Ilaiah sparks tension

Agencies

September 24, 2017

Parkal, Sept 24: Prominent Dalit writer and intellectual Kancha Ilaiah today filed a police complaint stating that four persons attacked his vehicle in the town and tried to kill him.

The alleged attack on Mr Ilaiah sparked tension between members of Arya Vysya caste and Dalits who came face to face.

However, the police averted any escalation in tension by dispersing the groups.

A police official said around 200 members of Arya Vysya community held a demonstration at Ambedkar chowrasta (crossing) in the town after they spotted Mr Ilaiah's vehicle.

The writer was headed towards Hyderabad after attending a function at Bhupalpally. The community is angry at Mr Ilaiah over his book "Samajika Smugglurlu Komatollu" (Vysyas are social smugglers), and were demanding apology from the writer, the official said.

He said sensing trouble Mr Ilaiah's driver diverted the car to Parkal Town police station.

In his complaint, Mr Ilaiah stated that four persons attacked his vehicle and tried to kill him, the official said, adding that no FIR was registered in the matter.

The situation became tense after protesters followed Mr Ilaiah to the police station and laid a siege.

Meanwhile, members of dalit communities came to know about the incident and rushed to the police station. "Members of both the communities raised slogans against each other," the official said.

Circle Inspector John Narsimhulu and other police personnel pacified the two groups and asked them to leave the campus of the police station.

However, both the groups gathered at the crossing and again started raising slogans, following which police personnel rushed to the spot and dispersed them.

The official said Mr Ilaiah proceeded to Warangal city with a police escort.

Arya Vysya associations had held protests in Hyderabad earlier this month alleging that the title of Mr Ilaiah's book and some of its contents were "derogatory and demeaning" to the community and sought withdrawal of the book.

Following the protests, Mr Ilaiah had lodged a police complaint alleging threat to life over his book.

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HC refuses to quash probe against Mangaluru WhatsApp admin over offensive posts

News Network

February 1,2026

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash an investigation against a WhatsApp group administrator accused of allowing the circulation of obscene and offensive images depicting Hindutva politicians and idols in 2021.

Justice M Nagaprasanna observed that, prima facie, the ingredients of the offence under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code were made out. “The offence under Section 295A of the IPC is met to every word of its ingredient, albeit prima facie,” the judge said.

The petitioner, Sirajuddin, a resident of Belthangady taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, had challenged the FIR registered against him at the CEN (Cyber, Economics and Narcotics) police station, Mangaluru, for offences under Section 295A of the IPC and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. Section 295A relates to punishment for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens.

According to the complaint filed by K Jayaraj Salian, also a resident of Belthangady taluk, he received a WhatsApp group link from an unknown source and was added to the group after accessing it. The group reportedly had six administrators and around 250 participants, where obscene and offensive images depicting Hindu deities and certain political figures were allegedly circulated repeatedly.

Sirajuddin was arrested in connection with the case and later released on bail on February 16, 2021. He argued before the court that he was being selectively targeted, while other administrators—including the creator of the group—were neither arrested nor investigated. He also contended that the Magistrate could not have taken cognisance of the offence under Section 295A without prior sanction under Section 196(1) of the CrPC.

Rejecting the argument, Justice Nagaprasanna held that prior sanction is required only at the stage of taking cognisance, and not at the stage of registration of the crime or during investigation.

The judge noted that the State had produced the entire investigation material before the court. “A perusal of the material reveals depictions of Hindu deities in an extraordinarily obscene, demeaning and profane manner. The content is such that its reproduction in a judicial order would itself be inappropriate,” the court said, adding that the material, on its face, had the tendency to outrage religious feelings and disturb communal harmony.

Observing that the case was still at the investigation stage, the court said it could not interdict the probe at this juncture. However, it expressed concern that the investigating officer appeared to have not proceeded uniformly against all administrators. The court clarified that if the investigation revealed the active involvement of any member in permitting the circulation of such content, they must also be proceeded against.

“At this investigative stage, any further observation by this Court would be unnecessary,” the order concluded.

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