The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday stayed for four weeks the proceedings on a criminal case registered against Mohammed Shakib, Popular Front of India’s State president, for allegedly inciting enmity between communities through his speech delivered at an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act rally held at Mangaluru on January 15.
Justice B.A. Patil passed the interim order on the petition filed by Mr. Shakib questioning the criminal case registered by the Kankanady police based on a complaint lodged by a police personnel.
It was contended in the petition that the ingredients of the complaint will not attract offence of inciting enmity between communities, use of criminal force to deter public servant from discharging duties and intentional insult with an intent to provoke breach of peace.
The petitioner has claimed that he was critical about the actions of the Mangaluru city Police Commissioner in relation to firing at protesters during an anti-CAA rally held in December 2019 in Mangaluru but did not incite enmity between any religious groups for invoking Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code.
It was also contended that no offence is made out even if what has been stated in the complaint is assumed to be true.
