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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4 children test HIV positive in MP govt hospital; contaminated blood transfusion suspected
Satna/Bhopal (PTI): Four children suffering from thalassemia have tested HIV positive at Satna District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions, officials said on Tuesday.
The case is four months old and an investigation is underway into it, an official said.
Officials suspect the use of contaminated needles or blood transfusions for the spread of infection to the children.
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MP Health Minister Rajendra Shukla told reporters in Bhopal that he has ordered a probe into the matter and sought a report.
“It is also being investigated whether the blood transfusion took place in other hospitals also or only in the government hospital,” he said.
The affected children, aged between 12 and 15 years, received blood transfusions from the hospital's blood bank, as per an official.
Devendra Patel, in-charge of the blood bank at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel District Hospital in Satna, said four children have tested HIV positive and an investigation is underway to determine how they got infected.
"Either an infected needle was used or a blood transfusion occurred. These are the two main reasons I believe. Blood transfusion seems to be the most likely cause," he told PTI Videos.
All these children suffer from thalassemia, and some have received 80 or 100 blood transfusions, he said.
A family member of one of the affected children said that their child was found to be HIV positive during a routine checkup about four months back, and he has been receiving medication, but it had proven to be of no use.
After taking the medication for HIV, the child starts vomiting, feels low and becomes ill, he said.
After the four children were detected with HIV infection, their family members were also tested and the results came out negative, he added.
The Opposition Congress targeted the government over the matter and demanded the resignation of Health Minister Shukla.
Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, Congress MLA and former minister Sachin Yadav claimed such incidents were continuously occurring in Madhya Pradesh.
Earlier, a case of toxic cough syrup came to light in Chhindwara, followed by incidents of rat bites at hospitals in Indore and Satna, and now children have been given HIV-infected blood, he said.
"The health minister is unable to manage the department. He should resign. A murder case should be filed against those responsible for the Satna incident," Yadav said.
Senior Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma termed it a failure of the government. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's government has no connection with ground realities, he charged.
"Somewhere rats are roaming in hospitals, somewhere children are being given HIV-infected blood. Instead of preventing HIV, you are spreading it. Mohan Yadav should wake up from his slumber. Children are the nation's heritage and should be taken care of," he added.
