Karnataka HC quashes criminal cases against Basavaraj Bommai over protest remarks
Bengaluru, Jun 27 (PTI): Karnataka High Court on Friday set aside two criminal cases filed against BJP leader and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, which alleged he made objectionable remarks during a protest rally criticising the Waqf Board and the state government over alleged encroachment on farmers' and temples' properties.
Justice S R Krishna Kumar, delivering the order, allowed Bommai's plea to quash the proceedings that had been initiated by Shiggaon police under Section 196(1)(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds such as religion or race.
Senior advocate Prabhuling K Navadgi, representing Bommai, contended that the complaints lacked the essential elements required to constitute an offence under Section 196(1)(a). In response, Additional Special Public Prosecutor B N Jagadeesha argued that the video evidence of the protest prima facie suggested Bommai had committed the offence.
However, after reviewing the complaint and referring to relevant Supreme Court and High Court precedents, the judge observed that the allegations were too vague and lacked substance. It noted that aside from Bommai's statement -- "wherever a stone is thrown, Waqf property is found" -- the complaint did not contain specific elements that could sustain charges under the said provision.
Declaring that pursuing the case would amount to an abuse of legal process, the court quashed the proceedings against Bommai. The judge clarified that the relief is limited to Bommai and does not extend to other accused individuals named in the FIR.
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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.
