The Karnataka High Court on Friday quashed two cases registered against former Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Basavaraj Bommai over alleged hate speech.
The single-judge Bench of Justice SR Krishna Kumar observed that continuation of the impugned proceedings would amount to abuse of the process of law.
Calling the allegations made against the BJP leader in the impugned complaint as vague, omnibus, bald and laconic, Justice Kumar said he was passing the order in view of the principles laid down by the Supreme Court as well as the High Court in this regard.
Bommai was booked under Section 196 (1) (a) (promoting enmity between groups) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) over allegations that he promoted enmity between religious groups by accusing Waqf authorities of land encroachment.
The alleged comments were said to have been made during a protest rally organised by BJP in November 2024 to condemn the Waqf Board and the Congress-led state government for allegedly grabbing properties of farmers and temples.
Bommai reportedly said that if a stone was thrown in Savanur, wherever it fell, it was waqf land.
The BJP leader filed two petitions in the High Court contending that the criminal complaints were frivolous and vindictive.
While allowing the applications filed by Bommai, the single-judge Bench said the verdict would apply only to Basavaraj, and not any others accused in the case.
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