Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 30
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has quashed an FIR against singer and composer Vishal Dadlani and another person for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of the Jain community.
The FIR and all other proceedings arising from it were ordered to be quashed by Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan subject to payment of Rs 10 lakh each by Dadlani and co-petitioner Tehseen Poonawala.
The FIR was registered on August 28, 2016, for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings and other offences under sections 295-A, 153-A and 509 of the IPC at Ambala Cantonment police station.
Counsel for the petitioners submitted that the Haryana Government on August 26, 2016, invited a Jain Monk (Muni), Tarun Sagar, to deliver a speech in the Haryana State Legislative Assembly on social and political issues.
The next day, Dadlani posted a series of messages on Twitter, questioning the wisdom of the Haryana State Legislative Assembly in inviting a religious leader to address a political forum.
His counsel also argued that complainant, Puneet Arora, had no locus standi to lodge the impugned FIR, and a rational criticism of religious tenants, pounded in restraint language, did not amount to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or hurting religious sentiments.
He further argued that even Muni Tarun Sagar, in an interview, stated that the petitioner had a right to differ and criticise and he did not care what people said about him. Jain Muni also explained the lifestyle of “Digambar Sadhus”, who remained naked.
Advocate Sandeep Jain, appointed intervener to assist court, submitted some deterrent action was required against the two so they may not offend other Jain Munis following similar lifestyle.
The Bench asserted: “If the contribution made by the petitioners towards the poor is compared to the contribution made by Jain Muni Tarun Sagar, it is apparent that the petitioners have played a mischief to gain publicity without having much to their credit.”
“Therefore, it would be appropriate to impose costs of Rs 10 lakh each on Dadlani and Poonawala, so that in future they may not mock any head of a religious sect to gain publicity,” Justice Sangwan said.
‘Hurt sentiments’
- The Ambala police had registered a case on a complaint that Vishal Dadlani and Tehseen Poonawala had made sarcastic remarks against Jain monk Tarun Sagar, which hurt sentiments of the community
- On the invitation of the Haryana Government, the monk had delivered a lecture in the Assembly. He went to the Assembly naked
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2PEb6Ks
via Today’s News Headlines
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