K'taka HC criticises BJP MLA Yatnal for "half pakistani" remark, refuses to stay defamation case
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday expressed its disapproval of a statement made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal, in which he referred to the State Health Minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao, as "half Pakistani."
A single-judge bench led by Justice M. Nagaprasanna declined to stay defamation proceedings initiated by Rao's wife, Tabbasum Dinesh Rao, under s. 499 and s. 500 of the Indian Penal Code. The court noted, “The statement directly attracts these provisions, contributing to the rise of defamation cases.”
During the hearing, the judge questioned the MLA’s counsel, stating, “Why make such statements? You cannot label a community this way; this is not the right approach.”
Yatnal's counsel, Venkatesh Dalwai, argued that his client’s statement was a response to one made by the minister in the public domain. However, Rao's wife contended that the remark was directed at her.
The court further observed, “Just because someone's wife is a Muslim, can you call him 'half Pakistani'? This is unacceptable.”
Dalwai also argued that the magistrate court had not followed proper procedure when taking cognizance of the complaint, as no notice was issued to Yatnal. The High Court agreed with this argument and indicated that it would instruct the Magistrate to reconsider the case, noting a procedural lapse.
The court is expected to release its order on Monday.
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UP: Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially constructed bridge, 3 dead
Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024
