Rave party rocks Assembly, CM orders inquiry

February 7, 2012

Bangalore, February 7: Yielding to the mounting pressure from opposition MLAs Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has ordered a probe into the Government sponsored rave party in St Mary's Island near Malpe coast in Udupi district.

The Spring Zouk, the three-day rave party issue, rocked the legislative assembly on Tuesday with Opposition members, including three MLAs from coastal districts demanding stringent action against the officials.

The event was jointly organized by Udupi district administration in association with 3W Concepts aiming it as tourism promotion tool from February 3 to 5. However, the event turned out to be an ugly affair as video footages showed a foreign couple in compromising position during the party.

Leader of opposition Siddaramaiah raised the issue in the Assembly and sought action against the officers. Mangalore MLA U T Khader, Karkala MLA Gopal Bhandary and Mulky-Moodbidri MLA Abhay and Chandra Jain held the BJP led state government responsible for promoting the use of drugs, booze and 'public sex' under pretext of promoting tourism.

They alleged that sale of liquor in the Island, nude and half nude women were seen, smoking of banned substances like ganja in a party were supplied in the party.

The CM said he ordered an inquiry headed by regional commissioner. He also said that his government was against anything which would be contemptuous against Indian culture. “This applies not only to coastal belt, but for entire Karnataka state," Gowda informed the House.

He said more than 900 foreigners and people from Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Goa and other parts of the country had participated in the festival. Over 300 tents had been installed at the Island for the tourists. M T Reju, deputy commissioner of the district maintained that such as festival in the Island was being held for the first time.

The CM reiterated that the festival was aimed at tourism development where Local folk forms like Dollu Kunita, Kangeelu, Yakshagana, Suggi Kunitha by the Halakki tribes were also staged before the tourists.

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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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