Innocents were made to hit the streets and become violent in Hubballi: Home Minister

News Network

April 22, 2022

Bengaluru, Apr 22: Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Friday said the Hubballi violence last week had the involvement of “many unseen hands” and that the police are investigating all those who worked behind the scenes.

“There are many unseen hands. Innocent people were made to hit the streets and become violent,” Jnanendra told reporters. “The Hubballi incident has similarities with the DJ Halli-KG Halli rioting and those that took place in other parts of the country. It wasn’t a spontaneous riot,” he said.

The Hubballi city would have “burned” had the police not taken proper timely action, the minister said.

A mob turned violent in Old Hubballi on the night of April 16, triggered by a ‘blasphemous’ social media post by one Abhishek Hiremath, who was arrested. The number of people arrested for rioting is 134 so far, including cleric Wasim Pathan who has been accused of instigating the mob.

“Did you see such a huge number of arrests and strict investigation before in such cases? Would that happen if the Congress was in power?” Jnanendra asked. “The investigation is looking at those involved behind-the-scenes...the communal and traitorous forces.”

The minister also refuted allegations that innocent people had been picked up. “There’s no question of arresting those who did not do anything wrong. There’s evidence and footage. There’s no prejudice,” he said.

Jnanendra even blamed the Congress for the rise of communal forces. “These are trees that they sowed. Their appeasement policy is to be blamed,” he said.

Asked about banning the PFI, Jnanendra said the government is thinking on those lines. “The state government is giving all information to the Centre about organisations such as the PFI. Earlier, hundreds of people were freed as cases on them were withdrawn. We’re having to face the result of that now with the hijab and other incidents,” he 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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