High court stays proceedings in provocative speech case against Kateel and others

High court stays proceedings in provocative speech case against Kateel and others

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Oct 11, 2012 : The High Court of Karnataka has issued a stay order on lower court proceedings against Jagadish Karanth, Hindu Jagarana Vedike leader, and Mangalore MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, both defendants in a provocative speech case.

Srinidhi Hegde, one of those accused in this 3-year-old case, had submitted a petition in the high court, following which the high court has temporarily stayed the lower court proceedings against Karanth, Kateel, Shrinidhi Hegde, Gopalakrishna Bhat, Ramaiah Bhat Panja, Dayananda Bana, Sanjay Kumar Paichar, Advocate Deepak Kutthamotte, Naveen Kumar Menala, Dileep, P. K. Ramesh, and Krishnaprasad Mattila.

According, the proceedings scheduled for Tuesday in Sullia First Grade Judicial Magistrate’s Court were adjourned till Nov 13.

It may be recalled that the Sullia police had filed a charge sheet against the 10 accused in March 2009 as per the orders of the lower court.

K. S. Ummer had lodged a private complaint in the court through Sooryanarayana Bhat, a senior advocate, accusing the above-mentioned 10 people of delivering inflammatory speeches at the Hindu Jagruthi Meet held at the Sullia Bus Stand on Feb 26, 2009. According to the complainant, the speakers had made derogatory comments against the Muslim community and that their speeches had the potential to cause communal unrest.