Shouting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ Inside a Mosque is NO Offence – Court

By Syed Ali Mujtaba, New Age Islam 17 October 2024 The Karnataka High Court quashed a case against two Hindu men for raising the slogan “Jai Shri Ram” inside the Puttur Town, Dakshina Kannada district mosque. The Court observed that such an act does not hurt the religious feelings of Muslims and so cannot be construed as an offense. A case was filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the High Court stating that two Hindu men Keerthan Kumar and Sachin Kumar from the Dakshina Kannada district barged into a mosque within the jurisdiction of the Puttur police circle on September 24, 2023. The accused raised “Jai Shri Ram” slogans around 11 PM and also alleged to have made threats to the effect that “they will not spare the Muslim community.” Justice M Nagaprasanna who was hearing the case on behalf of the two accused, Keerthan Kumar and Sachin Kumar, praying for quashing the case, in his order dated September 13, 2024, observed; “It was not understandable how shouting the “Jai Shri Ram” slogan would hurt the religious feelings of any community. Section 295A deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs. 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 bench wrote in his judgment. The judge said, “It is un-understandable how if someone shouts ‘Jai Sriram’, it would outrage the religious feelings of any class,” while quashing the case, the judge said, " None of the ingredients of the offenses alleged in the complaint had been met.” The two accused even after disturbing the peace in a place of religious worship were set free. This is a classic example of how a travesty of justice takes place in India when the judiciary sides with the accused and the victims watch the mockery of justice with their naked eyes. ---- Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/shouting-jai-shri-ram-mosque-offence/d/133459 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism