K’taka HC Stays Proceedings Against BJP MLA Over Remarks Targeting Siddaramaiah

The Karnataka High Court has recently granted an interim stay on the legal proceedings against Belthangady BJP MLA Harish Poonja.

The case against Poonja was filed at the Belthangady police station, accusing him of making objectionable remarks about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during his victory speech in May.

Poonja’s comments alleged that Siddaramaiah was responsible for getting “24 Hindu activists killed” during the Congress rule between 2013 and 2018.

A single bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the order in response to a petition filed by Poonja seeking relief. The complaint against the BJP MLA was filed by Namitha K Poojary, the President of Belthangady Mahila Congress (BMC).

The police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Poonja under Sections 153, 153(A), 505(1)(b), 505(1)(c), and 505(2) of the IPC.

The MLA petition contended that the police’s decision to register an FIR against him, based on a complaint by a local Congress leader, is politically motivated and being utilized as a means to harass him.

“The petitioner is accused for having committed the offence of causing criminal intimidation and wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot and promoting disharmony among two different religions. But the investigation agency has not done any primary investigation to ascertain whether such provisions are really applicable against the petitioner herein as with no time they have registered the FIR,” the plea stated.