Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Aug 23: The state high court has granted interim stay against the permission granted by the state government to investigate Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat and also the hearings going on in subordinate courts against him. The court, which had earlier stayed trial in three cases, has now issued interim stay in another case registered against Bhat by the local police.

The single judge bench of the high court presided over by Justice Aravind Kumar passed this order on Tuesday August 22 after hearing arguments presented on behalf of Bhat. It also ordered service of notices to home department, Bantwal police, and complainants.

Placing his arguments, advocate for Bhat, Arun Shyam, contended that the cases registered against Bhat have no substance and that in his speeches he had not uttered anything that would have been provocative or given rise to communal clalshes. He argued that the government had acted against law in giving permission to register cases against him.

The police had received complaint that during the programmes in the town and Vittal, Bhat had delivered inflammatory speeches which would have whipped up communal passions among Hindus and Muslims. The complainant also had said that as a result, tense situation was created in the area as his addresses promoted hatred.

The government had permitted the concerned to investigate Bhat for offences under sections 153 A and 505 (2) of Indian Penal Code. Bhat had questioned this in the court, arguing that the government had given these permissions out of political enmity.