Sonu Nigam gets reprieve from Karnataka HC in Kannada row

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the Bengaluru police not to take any coercive action against Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam in the case involving his alleged objectionable remarks against Kannada language.

The reprieve is conditional as the High Court directed the singer to cooperate with the investigations into the incident following an FIR filed against by a Kannada activist for linking a demand for a Kannada song to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Advertisement

The High Court also permitted the singer to appear through video conference if the police want to record his statement but added that the singer should cooperate in the probe.

Justice Shivashankar Amarannavar passed the interim order on a plea challenging the legality of the FIR filed against him by Avalahalli police station on May 3 based on a complaint by a Kannada activist, Dharma Raj Ananthaiah. The complaint against Sonu Nigam, based on media reports, led to the filing of an FIR under Sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 352(1) (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 353 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the BNS.

If the police want to record the statement of the singer physically, then the IO should go to the singer’s place at the latter’s expense. The counsel for the accused, Dhananjay Vidyapati, maintained that no material was present to invoke the provisions of the BNS as the event had continued and concluded peacefully after the initial hurdle when a member of the audience demanded Kannada songs. It was also pointed out that the singer had no intention to create any trouble. The counsel maintained that the case was motivated by publicity.

The court also refused to accept the plea of the police, through Additional State Public Prosecutor BN Jagadeesha, that the singer appear in person for recording the statement. He can be examined online and if it has to be in person recording to make a statement the police IO could go to Mumbai.

Sonu Nigam had clarified later that his statements were a response to certain unpleasant comments made repeatedly by some individuals in the audience who had demanded a Kannada song just after his first song in the concert.