The Karnataka High Court has quashed a case against a man who mistakenly shouted 'Pakistan Zindabad' instead of 'Pakistan Murdabad' at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally in 2022.
The Karnataka High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against a man accused of shouting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’, or long live Pakistan, at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally in 2022. In the judgement delivered on October 28, Justice V Srishananda noted the petitioner’s submission that he had made an error by shouting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ instead of ‘Pakistan Murdabad’, or death to Pakistan. The accused's lawyer explained that this was a 'slip of the tongue'.
The incident occurred during a demonstration organised on December 18, 2022, by supporters of the BJP. A complaint was filed in 2024 following the circulation of a video of the incident which caused mental distress to the complainant. The Mandya Police registered a case under the Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to public mischief and assertions prejudicial to national integration.
The accused subsequently moved the High Court, urging it to quash the case. Justice V Srishananda held that continuing the criminal proceedings against the petitioner would be unnecessary and amount to an abuse of the process of law, as there was no evidence that the slogan had led to any social unrest.
Source:
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