No SSLC and PUC classes in Karnataka till appropriate decision: CM

News Network

November 23, 2020

Bengaluru, Nov 23: As experts have suggested not to open schools in the state in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday said that there will be no Senior School Leaving Certificate (Class 10) and Pre University Exam as the government will take an appropriate decision with regard to the situation.

"Experts have opined that we should not take any decision till December end. We will meet again and take an appropriate decision at the time, with regard to the situation. We should not start SSLC (Class 10) and Pre University Exam until then," Yediyurappa told media persons here.

Meanwhile, the Technical Advisory Committee for COVID-19 has recommended to the Karnataka government not to reopen schools in December.

"After extensive deliberations, it was unanimously resolved not to reopen schools in December," said Technical Advisory Committee, Karnataka in a statement.

However, the scenario of COVID-19 in the state shall be reviewed in the last week of December to consider the reopening of schools at an appropriate time subsequently, the committee stressed.

During the meeting held on Sunday, Dr M K Sudarshan, TAC, Chairperson informed the members that the state is considering reopening of the schools very soon. "The TAC in its 40th (October 8) and 49th (November 9) meetings had deliberated extensively on this subject. It was then decided to postpone the re-opening of the schools after reviewing the COVID-19 scenario in the state subsequently. In the meanwhile, from November 17 colleges have been reopened, but the attendance of students is very poor."

From December 1, it is planned to reopen medical and paramedical colleges in the state. However, the impact of reopening of the colleges will be known in the coming days, Sudarshan said.

Karnataka has reported 24,887 active COVID-19 cases, 8,36,505 recoveries and 11,654 fatalities, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Monday.

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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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