Karnataka High Court Quashes Case Over Pakistan Slogan

The Karnataka High Court quashed criminal proceedings against DS Ravi Kumar, a participant in a 2022 Bharatiya Janata Party protest who was accused of shouting "Pakistan Zindabad" (long live Pakistan). The case had been registered by Mandya West Police following a complaint by Kannambadi Kumar, who cited a YouTube video as evidence of public mischief and assertions prejudicial to national integration.

Justice V Srishananda ruled that it was "highly unimaginable" for protesters at a BJP-organized event to deliberately raise such a slogan. The court accepted the petitioner's argument that the words were a slip of the tongue and that he had intended to say "Pakistan Murdabad" (death to Pakistan).

In dismissing the case, the court highlighted a two-year delay in filing the complaint and noted a lack of evidence that the incident caused social unrest. The ruling also found that the magistrate had failed to obtain the required prior sanction under Section 505(1)(b) of the Indian Penal Code before taking cognizance of the offense. Justice Srishananda concluded that continuing the proceedings would constitute an abuse of the process of law.