Bengaluru, Apr 27: The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash a criminal case registered against Jignesh Mevani, Gujarat MLA, for allegedly giving provocative statement with an intent to cause riot during a programme in Chitradurga on April 6, 2018.
Justice Aravind Kumar passed the order on a petition filed by Mr. Mevani, who had claimed that the contents of his speech did not indicate any intention to cause riot as he had only commented on the failure of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and never provoked the youth to disturb Mr. Modi’s rally scheduled to be held in Bengaluru later. Mr. Mevani was attending a programme organised by the Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike.
The FIR against Mr. Mevani was registered based on a complaint by the Election Commission’s flying squad as the programme was organised when the code of conduct was in force for the elections to the Karnataka State Assembly.
The police had filed the chargesheet in June 2018. A magistrate court in Chitradurga had taken cognisance of offence against him in July 2018 and had issued summons.
While the court said that there is prima facie case to proceed against the petitioner under Section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of Indian Penal Code, the court quashed the Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC invoked against the petitioner.
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