Provocative speech: High Court stays proceedings against Kateel, Karant

Mangalore, October 10: The Karnataka High Court has stayed proceedings in a lower court against Mangalore MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and Hindu Jagarana Vedike leader Jagadish Karant in a provocative speech case.

Upholding the petition submitted by Srinidhi Hegde, one of the accused in the three-year old case, a high court bench issued temporary stay in proceedings against Mr Kateel, Mr Karanth and 10 others: the petitioner Srinidhi Hegde, Ramaiah Bhat Panja, Gopalakrishna Bhat, Dayananda Bana, Sanjay Kumar Paichar, Advocate Deepak Kutthamotte, Dileep, Naveen Kumar Menala, Krishnaprasad Mattila and P K Umesh.

With this, the proceedings scheduled for Tuesday at Sullia First Grade Judicial Magistrate's Court, was adjourned till November 13.

It may be recalled here that jurisdictional Sullia police had filed charge-sheet against the accused speakers following the instruction of the local court in March 2009.

K S Ummer, a local resident, had lodged a private complaint in the court through senior advocate Sooryanarayan Bhat, alleging that the above accused had delivered communally-provocative speeches at the Hindu Jagruti Meet held at the Sullia bus stand on February 26, 2009.

The complainant had pointed out that the speakers had made derogatory remarks against the Muslim community and that the speeches were communally provocative in nature.