K'taka HC orders stay on case against Eshwarappa for his alleged ‘we don't want Muslim votes’ remark
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Saturday issued an interim stay to the case filed against BJP Leader K.S. Eshwarappa for his alleged, ‘We don’t want Muslim votes,’ remark.
A single-judge bench of the High Court heard the petition filed by KS Eshwarappa seeking quashing of the case against him.
After listening to the arguments of the petitioner's counsel for some time, the bench granted an interim stay to the case and adjourned the hearing to December 15. Advocate M. Vinod Kumar argued for KS Eshwarappa.
Eshwarappa is said to have made the controversial statement during a meeting of the Veerashaiva Lingayat community on April 25, 2023, at the residence of former Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa in Shivamogga, held during the assembly elections. As reported by a private news agency on its social media account, Eshwarappa was quoted saying, “There are 50 to 55 thousand Muslim voters in Shivamogga. We don't want a single Muslim vote.”
Based on the news reported on social media, H. Mahesh, the flying squad team officer of Shivamogga Assembly Constituency, lodged a complaint with the Vinoba Nagar police station on May 6. The Shivamogga JMFC judge granted permission to the Vinoba Nagar police to investigate the case, simultaneously an FIR was registered on May 8. The hearing of the case was initially scheduled for December 2, but the Hight court stayed it.
The petitioner requesting for the quashing of the case, argued that the complaint was filed based on information obtained from an ‘X’ account of a private news agency, since there is no compelling evidence in the case, and investigating it would be a misuse of the law.
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Kerala: Court imposes 41-year jail term on man for sexual assault of minor
Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): A Kerala court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 41 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor boy near Valayam in 2021.
Nadapuram Fast Track Special Court judge K Naushad Ali sentenced 64-year-old Panchara Musa, also known as Ganapathiyat Musa, under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to special public prosecutor Manoj Aroor.
As the sentences are to run concurrently, the convict will have to serve the highest term of 20 years’ imprisonment, SPP Aroor said. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 52,000 on Musa.
The incident took place in August 2021 when the accused allegedly took the 14-year-old boy to a bus stop in Valayam town and sexually assaulted him, the prosecutor said. The accused also gave Rs 50 to the boy, he added.
Following the incident, the boy and his father lodged a complaint at the Valayam police station.
A case under various provisions of the POCSO Act and the IPC was registered, and the accused was subsequently arrested, the SPP said.
The prosecution examined 16 witnesses and submitted 16 documents to substantiate its case against the accused, he added.
