SC quashes criminal case against Chakravarthy Sulibele for calling Mallikarjun Kharge ‘Ayogya’
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a criminal case filed by Karnataka Police against right-wing orator and writer Chakravarthy Sulibele, who had referred to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge as ‘Ayogya’ during a public speech.
The order was passed by a bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh.
Sulibele had made the remark in January 2024 while addressing a public gathering in Raichur, where he described Kharge using the term ‘Ayogya’. Following the speech, Jagadev Guttedar Kalagi, president of the Kalaburagi Congress unit, filed a complaint accusing Sulibele of using the term to incite hatred and violence against Kharge’s community. Subsequently, the Karnataka Police registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Challenging the case, Sulibele moved the Karnataka High Court. In October 2024, the High Court quashed the charges filed under the SC/ST Act but allowed the investigation under IPC provisions to continue.
Sulibele then approached the Supreme Court. In his petition, he argued that the High Court had wrongly interpreted the word ‘Ayogya’ as ‘rascal’. He contended that ‘Ayogya’ has several meanings in Indian languages, and the closest interpretation would be ‘inefficient’ or ‘incompetent’, not a derogatory or caste-based insult.
The Supreme Court, after examining the arguments, quashed the entire case, providing relief to Sulibele.
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Kasaragod: Father kills teen daughter over family feud, arrested
Kasaragod: An 18-year-old girl was allegedly hacked to death by her father following a family dispute at Kunjathur, Thuminad near Manjeshwara on Tuesday evening.
The deceased has been identified as Jumaila, a resident of Thuminad. Police said the accused, Umar Farooq, has been arrested in connection with the murder.
According to police sources, Jumaila was found lying in a pool of blood after neighbours rushed to the house on hearing her screams.
She was shifted to a hospital, but doctors declared her dead.
Locals said that Umar Farooq, who had been working abroad, returned to the village about three months ago.
Since his return, the family had been involved in frequent disputes, reportedly over property-related issues.
Police officials visited the spot and have launched a detailed investigation into the incident.
