A case was registered against rationalist K S Bhagwan and writer Chandrashekar Patil in Karnataka on Wednesday by a resident of Dakshina Kannada district for comments that he said had hurt his religious sentiments. An FIR filed against the duo was filed at a Dakshina Kannada police station two days ago was on Wednesday transferred to the High Grounds police station in Bengaluru.
Rationalist KS Bhagwan and writer Chandrashekar Patil at Uppinangady police station in Dakshina Kannada district two days ago was transferred to the High Grounds police station, Bengaluru.
A case was booked against the duo under IPC Sections 153A (Promoting en mity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).
Bhagwan, 70, is a former professor of English and resident of Mysuru. Chandrashekar Patil aka Champa, 76, is also a former English professor and acclaimed Kannada playwright. He hails from Dharwad, where rationalistscholar MM Kalburgi was gunned down last month.
The complainant, Shyam Sudharshan Bhat, a resident of Hosamoole in Belthangady taluk of the district, had filed the complaint after reading newspaper reports about the duo's speeches at Gandhi Bhavan, Bengaluru, on September 19. Bhat said Bhagwan's comments had hurt his religious sentiments.
The complainant alleged that the writers had made derogatory references to Hinduism and Hindu gods. They had spoken ill about the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, he said.
