High Court bars Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja from making hate speeches, repeating offences
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has directed Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja not to make any further hate speeches or repeat offences under criminal sections already filed against him.
Senior advocate S. Balan, appearing for the complainant Ibrahim, urged the court to vacate the interim stay granted on FIRs registered against Poonja for his alleged inflammatory speeches targeting the Muslim community and provoking communal tensions in Dakshina Kannada district. The court heard the matter on Thursday.
Advocates representing the government and Poonja sought more time, but Balan opposed the plea, arguing that allowing the interim stay to continue would enable the MLA to repeat such actions.
Balan told the court that Poonja’s hate speeches had provoked mob violence, including a lynching in Mangaluru and three recent murders in the region. He added that interim stay orders were being misused to incite communal hatred and bypass the law.
Justice Krishna Kumar, after hearing the arguments, extended the interim stay until August 7 but imposed strict conditions. The court directed that Harish Poonja must not indulge in hate speech or repeat any criminal conduct related to the sections already invoked against him.
Poonja had previously courted controversy during a speech at the Brahmakalashotsava of Tekkaru Gopalakrishna Temple, where he allegedly said that "rowdy Muslims" should be kept away from temple events and called for Hindu unity without fostering harmony with Muslims. His remarks reportedly escalated tensions at a time when communal killings had already taken place in the region.
The MLA had moved the High Court on May 4, 2025, seeking to quash the FIR registered at Uppinangady Police Station and requested an immediate stay on the proceedings. On May 22, the High Court had granted an interim stay.
Ibrahim, represented by Balan, later filed a "vacating stay" application against the May 22 order. FIRs are currently registered against Poonja in multiple police stations in Dakshina Kannada under various sections of the IPC, including:
* Belthangady PS: Crime No. 39/2023 – IPC 153, 153A, 505(1)(c), 505(2)
* Dharmasthala PS: Crime No. 57/2024 – IPC 504, 353
* Belthangady PS: Crime No. 58/2024 – IPC 143, 147, 341, 504, 506 r/w 149
* Bajpe PS: Crime No. 239/2016 – IPC 143, 147, 290, 160, 504 r/w 149
* Bantwal PS: Crime No. 117/2017 – IPC 142, 143, 188 r/w 149
* Dharmasthala PS: Crime No. 77/2023 – IPC 143, 353, 504 r/w 149
* Belthangady PS: Crime No. 105/2023 – IPC 504, 505(2)
Despite multiple FIRs, the complainant argued that Poonja continued to engage in repeat offences, making him ineligible for further protection through interim orders.
While continuing the stay until the next hearing, the High Court laid down firm conditions, clearly stating that Harish Poonja must refrain from hate speech and any repetition of his past criminal acts.
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Pune airport runway restored after IAF aircraft snag; ops resume
Pune (PTI): The runway at Pune airport, which was temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, has now been restored and declared operational, the Air Force said on Saturday.
The authorities at the Pune International Airport had earlier said that around 10.25 pm on Friday, a fighter aircraft experienced an undercarriage failure during landing, causing the runway to be blocked.
As many as 91 flights of airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa, and Air India Express, were affected due to the incident, they said.
Earlier on Friday night, the Air Force had stated that the runway at Pune airport was temporarily unavailable following an incident involving one of its fighter aircraft. The aircrew are safe, and there is no damage to civil property, it had said.
"The runway at Pune Airport, which was temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an Indian Air Force aircraft, has now been restored and declared operational. All necessary safety inspections and clearances have been completed. Operations are resuming in a phased manner," it said in a post on X.
Flight operations at Pune airport are being gradually restored. The situation has been brought under control with the highest priority given to the safety of citizens, a Defence PRO said.
