Shouting 'Jai Shree Ram' in mosque: Plea filed in SC, hearing today

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

An appeal before the Supreme Court has been filed challenging the Karnataka High Court’s verdict of the case where two individuals allegedly shouted “Jai Shree Ram” in a Mosque recently, reports Bar and Bench On September 13 the Karnataka High Court had quashed the FIR against two individuals for allegedly shouting the slogan, observing that it did not offend or outrage religious feelings and sentiments. The Bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and Sandeep Mehta will be hearing the matter on Monday, December 16.

The case involved two individuals, Keerthan Kumar and Sachin Kumar, who hailed from Dakshina Kannada district, entering a local mosque named Badnya Jumma Mashib last year and shouting the slogan. The duo allegedly threatened that “they will not Beary (Muslims) to live in peace.” Both men were booked by the local police under Section 295A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 447 (trespass), and 506 (criminal intimidation) and several other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) following a complaint registered against them.

The two later moved the Karnataka High Court seeking the quashing of the criminal case against them. In September this year, Justice M Nagaprasanna of the High Court granted them relief and quashed the case, stating: “Section 295A deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class. It is understandable as to how if someone shouts ‘Jai Sriram’ it would outrage the religious feeling of any class.

When the complainant himself states that Hindu – Muslims are living in harmony in the area the incident by no stretch of imagination can result in antimony." The complainant, through advocate Javedur Rahman has taken this to the Supreme Court, citing that the high court order was pedantic in viewing the matter. He also told the Bar and Bench that it violates Supreme Court judgements to quash FIRs during investigations.