"Doesn't hurt religious feelings...": Karnataka High Court Dismisses Case Against Accused of Raising "Jai Shri Ram" Slogans in a Mosque

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed a criminal case against two people accused of raising "Jai Shri Ram" slogans inside a mosque. Citing a Supreme Court ruling, the bench noted that not every act qualifies as an offence under Section 295A of the IPC.

The single-judge bench, led by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, reviewed the appeal from the accused and said, "It is not understandable how the raising of 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans would hurt the religious feelings of any community."

The accused faced charges under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 295A for allegedly outraging religious feelings, as well as Sections 447 (criminal trespass), 505 (public mischief), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (common intention).

The bench highlighted that the complainant himself acknowledged the harmony between Hindus and Muslims in the area. It emphasized that allowing further proceedings against the accused would amount to an abuse of the legal process.

The police had alleged that the accused entered the mosque on September 24, 2023, around 10:50 p.m., and raised slogans of "Jai Shri Ram." They were also accused of making threats. Initially, the complainant identified the accused as unknown individuals, but they were later apprehended.

Challenging the allegations, the accused filed an appeal in the Karnataka High Court, which ultimately quashed the case against them. The bench reiterated that the complainant had claimed, "Hindus and Muslims lived in harmony in the area," suggesting that shouting the slogans would not necessarily provoke communal tensions.