Cong seeks arrest of Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, BJP gen sec C T Ravi

News Network

April 7, 2022

Bengaluru, Apr 7: The Karnataka Congress has lodged a police complaint and sought the arrest of state Home Minister Araga Jnanendra and BJP National General Secretary C.T. Ravi for their provocative statements in connection with a youth's murder in Bengaluru.

Chandru, 22, was murdered in the J.J. Nagar police station limits of Bengaluru on Tuesday midnight in a road rage case.

The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee on Wednesday night lodged the complaint with the Malleshwaram Police station.

A delegation headed by Congress leader Manohar lodged the complaint and said the statements were intended to paint whole of the Muslim community in bad colour.

Jnanendra on Wednesday falsely claimed that Chandru was murdered for speaking in Urdu with the accused persons. "The murder has been carried out for refusing to talk in Urdu and for insisting to talk in the Kannada language. He had been stabbed to death. The police have arrested a few persons and a hunt is on for other accused persons," Home Minister stated. "This is a barbaric incident. After the quarrel, they have suddenly stabbed and killed him. I have asked the police to initiate action," he said.

Later, the minister backtracked and apologised for his statements. He clarified that the murder was a result of road rage.

National General Secretary and BJP MLA C.T. Ravi had also jumped the gun on the issue that Chandru was hacked to death for speaking in Kannada.

"The incident should not be seen in isolation and there are provocations behind such a mindset. What is happening in Kashmir could also take place in Karnataka. I condemn the incident. Progressive thinkers have turned a blind eye to the incident. Congress leaders won't shed any tears if a Hindu is killed and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah won't pay condolences if the victim is a Hindu," he said.

Both the leaders were slammed by the Opposition Congress and JD(S). Lashing out at the statement of the Home Minister, Siddaramaiah dubbed him as an inefficient minister. "He had given statements like this in the murder case of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha and Mysuru gang-rape case. He is not able to maintain the portfolio. It is unfortunate that such a person is our home minister.

"Initially, he stated that Harsha had criminal cases against him and later denied it. In Mysuru gang-rape case, he had said that why women should come out during odd hours to isolated places," Siddaramaiah said.

Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy stated that the Home Minister is not serious about his job. "He had used the word 'Dalit' instead of 'Hindu'. This is a trivial statement. He has started to carry out political agenda in murders also in the state," he said.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

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.

Comments