Karnataka High Court stays FIR against Kuloor road protestors
Why was an FIR necessary for a peaceful protest?: High Court questions police
Kuloor: The Karnataka High Court has granted a stay on the FIR registered by Kavoor police against members of the Toll Virodhi Horata Samithi, including Muneer Katipalla, for protesting to demand road repairs in Kuloor.
The protest was held on 26 November 2024 by the Toll Virodhi Horata Samithi, demanding the repair of the Kuloor road. In response, the Kavoor police registered an FIR against Muneer Katipalla, B.K. Imtiaz, Sunil Kumar Bajal, Manjula Nayak, Srinath Kulal, Raghavendra, Yadav Shetty, and Dayanand Shetty and filed a charge sheet in court. Subsequently, a non-bailable warrant was issued against the protestors.
Senior Advocate S. Balan, representing the protestors, filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR. Justice Hemant Chandan Gowdar, hearing the case, has granted a stay on the FIR.
High Court questions police
The court questioned the police on what grounds they had invoked s. 189 and s. 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) without applying s. 3(5). The judge also asked, "What was the necessity of an FIR for a peaceful protest?"
Senior Advocate S. Balan argued, "Filing an FIR against those who demanded road repairs is a violation of citizens' fundamental duties. Article 51A of the Indian Constitution outlines fundamental duties, which include protecting public property and avoiding violence."
He further stated, "No loudspeakers were used during the protest, nor was public movement obstructed. The police were deployed for security, but they neither intervened nor arrested anyone during the protest. The FIR was filed only after the protestors had returned home."
Protestors accused of being "absconding"
Balan also pointed out that those named in the FIR are well-known activists in Mangaluru and that even after the FIR, they continued holding protests for public interest. Yet, the police deliberately filed an 'Absconding Charge Sheet' against them.
He further argued, "The charge sheet was filed without issuing a notice under s. 35 of BNS, which is a clear violation of fundamental rights and an abuse of law."
Allegations against Mangaluru police
Balan alleged that illegal gambling, unauthorised sand mining, and unlicensed massage parlours were operating in Mangaluru under police supervision. He argued that instead of addressing these issues, police officials were targeting activists by registering FIRs against them in retaliation for their protests.
After hearing the arguments, Justice Hemant Chandan Gowdar stayed the FIR and the proceedings in the Mangaluru court. The High Court also issued an urgent notice to the Kavoor police, providing relief to the protestors.
Advocate Rakshita Singh assisted in the case.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
