K'taka HC refuses to quash FIR against Rahul Gandhi, others over KGF song copyright
Bengaluru, June 28: The High Court of Karnataka has refused to quash the FIR against Congress party leaders Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh and Supriya Shrinate for the alleged copyright violation of music from the hit film KGF Chapter-2.
The single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna pronounced the judgment on Wednesday, dismissing the petition filed by the three Congress leaders.
M Naveen Kumar of MRT Music, a sister concern of Lahari Music, had filed the complaint at Yeshwantpur police station in Bengaluru alleging that the music from the film, to which it has the copyright, was used by the Congress party in a promotional video of 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'.
The HC in its order dismissing the petition said, "The petitioners appear to have tampered with source code without permission, which would undoubtedly amount to infringement of the copyright of the company. The petitioners seem to have taken the copyright of the company for granted. Therefore prima facie all these as a matter of evidence has to be trashed out in an investigation."
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The FIR was registered under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 403 (Dishonest misappropriation of property) 465 (forgery) r/w Section 34 (criminal act with common intent) of Indian Penal Code, Section 33 of Copyright Act and Section 66 of Information Technology Act.
On behalf of the Congress leaders, it was argued that the issue was related to copyright infringement but a criminal complaint was filed and immediately an FIR was registered by the police. "Copyright is statutory right. In the absence of a cognisable offence (the) FIR is bad in law," AS Ponnanna, the counsel for the party leaders had argued.
A related suit in a commercial court was filed leading to the order to freeze the social media accounts of the Congress party. The HC set it aside after an undertaking by the party to remove the offending videos from its social media handles.
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Pahalgam attack: Kharge, Rahul speak with HM Shah, J-K CM; demand justice for victims' families
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi have spoken with Home Minister Amit Shah, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior party leaders from the union territory to get an update on Tuesday's horrific Pahalgam terror attack, asserting that the families of the victims deserve justice.
Kharge urged the central government to talk to all the political parties to ensure security in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Congress chief said that late on Tuesday night, he spoke to home minister Shah, J-K Chief Minister Abdullah, and senior J-K Congress leaders about the despicable carnage in Pahalgam that killed at least 26 people, mostly tourists.
"The perpetrators of this heinous terror attack must not go unpunished. The innocent victims must get justice," Kharge said in a post on X.
"Unity in action in the wake of adversity is the need of the hour. This cross-border terror attack should be responded to with an adequate and resolute reply," he said.
"Government of India must talk to all the political parties to ensure security in Jammu and Kashmir and make every possible effort to ensure the safety of tourists," Kharge added.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also said he spoke to Shah, Abdullah, and J-K Congress chief Tariq Karra about the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam to get an update on the situation.
The Congress leader, who's currently on a visit to the US, asserted that the families of the victims deserve justice and "our fullest support".
"Spoke with HM Amit Shah, J-K CM Omar Abdullah, and J-K PCC President Tariq Karra about the horrific Pahalgam terror attack. Received an update on the situation," he said in a post on X.
On Tuesday, the Congress demanded the government to take accountability for the deadly terror attack instead of "making hollow claims" on the situation being normal in Jammu and Kashmir, saying an all-party meeting should be called to take all political parties into confidence.
The opposition party denounced the terror attack as a "blot on humanity" and said it should not go "unanswered effectively".
Terrorists struck a prime tourist location at Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday, killing at least 26 people and injuring several others, according to officials.
The deceased included two foreigners -- from the UAE and Nepal -- and two locals, officials said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Abdullah described the terror attack as "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years".
Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the news of tourists being killed and injured in the "cowardly" terrorist attack in Pahalgam was "extremely condemnable" and "heartbreaking".
"I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured," he said.
"The whole country is united against terrorism. Instead of making hollow claims on the situation being normal in Jammu and Kashmir, the government should now take accountability and take concrete steps so that such barbaric incidents do not happen in the future and innocent Indians do not lose their lives like this," the Congress leader said.
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