Controversy over ‘suspension’ of 58 Muslim students from Shivamogga college for not removing hijab

News Network

February 19, 2022

Shivamogga, Feb 19: In a At least 58 Muslim female students from a PU college in Karnataka's Shivamogga district were ‘verbally’ suspended on Saturday, 19 February, for donning a hijab and staging a protest demanding to be allowed to attend classes.

The students from Shiralakoppa Government College in Shivamogga were suspended and were told not to protest at the school.

The protesting students begged the college authorities to allow them to enter the class until the police intervened to disperse the helpless girls.

A video surfaced online wherein the principal can be heard telling students that they had been suspended from the college as they violated the rules.

"Deputy SP, DDPI and SDMC had tried to convince you. But still you have not listened to them. You have violated the rules. That's why we are suspending you all from college for the time being. You can't enter the premises since you are suspended," the principal said.

The principal later justified that they cannot allow entry of hijab-wearing students to class as per the interim order of the high court banning hijabs in educational institutions. However, the students did not listen and pressed for wearing of hijab, the principal said.

However, Shivamogga DC who denied any such reports, saying that the principal was simply threatening the students and no suspension orders were officially issued.

"The principal was just threatening them and we checked it. Students were getting unruly. We told them to wait outside. Kids were coming inside to protest. That time, he said verbally, but no suspension orders were issued," the DC said.

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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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