Karnataka High Court quashes defamation case against Satish Jarkiholi
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against Congress leader and Minister for Public Works, Satish Jarkiholi, over his 2022 remarks on the word "Hindu." He had stated that the term has a "dirty and insulting meaning" in Persian, leading to allegations of defamation and hurting religious sentiments.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna, while allowing Jarkiholi's petition, noted that the defamation allegations did not satisfy the requirements under s. 499 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court explained that defamation must target a definite and determinate group, as established in the Supreme Court's 1972 ruling in G. Narasimhan & Others vs T.V. Chokkappa. It held that defamation of an indefinite class of people, as alleged in this case, cannot constitute an offence under s. 500 of the IPC.
The complaint, filed by Bengaluru-based advocate Dilip Kumar, also invoked s. 153 of the IPC, which pertains to provocation with intent to cause a riot. However, the court ruled that Jarkiholi’s statement did not meet the essential ingredients of this section, as there was no evidence of intent to provoke rioting.
Jarkiholi's statement was made during a rally organised by the Manava Bandhutva Vedike in Nippani, Belagavi district, in November 2022.
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Delhi HC asks Jaideep Sengar to surrender in Unnao custodial death case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Jaideep Sengar, brother of Unnao rape case convict Kuldeep Sengar, to surrender before jail authorities in connection with his conviction in the custodial death case of the survivor's father.
A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja was hearing a plea by the convict for further extension of interim bail upon suspension of the 10-year sentence.
It observed that the interim bail granted to Jaideep Sengar in July 2024 was last extended in April 2025 and since then, in spite of five dates, no order of any further extension or suspension of his sentence has been passed by the court.
As the senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar urged the bench to extend the period of his release on account of his health, the bench said, "You surrender and then we will see."
"Although there is no extension of interim suspension of sentence granted, we find he has still not surrendered. Before we proceed to consider his application for further extension of suspension of sentence, we require the appellant to first surrender," the bench ordered.
The senior counsel for Jaideep Sengar assured the court that he would surrender by Saturday.
The court listed the matter for hearing next week.
Jaideep Sengar, 50, sought the bail extension on the grounds that he is suffering from oral cancer.
The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) counsel had earlier said it was not a fit case for extension of interim bail, and the prescription given by Jaideep Sengar in support of his plea was fabricated.
In his application, Jaideep Sengar said he was suffering from stage IV oral cancer, a life-threatening condition, and had developed clinical signs of recurrence.
The condition, the plea said, required continuous and specialised medical care.
The plea also informed that Jaideep Sengar has spent about four years in custody.
The high court had granted interim bail to Jaideep Sengar on July 3, 2024, for two months on medical grounds.
Kuldeep Sengar was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for the remainder of his life on December 20, 2019, for raping the minor in 2017.
On March 13, 2020, Kuldeep Sengar, along with Jaideep Sengar, was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment by the trial court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh, in the custodial death case of the rape survivor's father.
The survivor's father was arrested, allegedly at the behest of the accused, under the Arms Act and died in custody on April 9, 2018, owing to police brutality.
The trial court said no leniency could be shown for killing a family's sole breadwinner.
