Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High
Court has turned down a plea of social activist Swami Agnivesh
seeking to quash an FIR filed against him for hurting
sentiments of Hindus.
Justice L N Mittal yesterday also held that the utterance
attributed to the social activist in the FIR hurts the
feelings of Hindus.
"Averments made in the FIR regarding utterances
attributed to the petitioner do prima facie make out a case
under Section 295-A, IPC, because such utterances certainly
hurt the religious feelings of Hindus, who undertake the holy
Amarnath yatra," Justice Mittal observed and turned down
Agnivesh`s plea.
Earlier this year, various Hindu organisations had
castigated Agnivesh for his "blasphemous" remarks on the
Amarnath yatra in Kashmir.
A case, under Section 295A of the IPC, was registered
against Agnivesh on May 23 in Hansi sub-division of Haryana
after a complaint was lodged by social activist Praveen Tayal.
Section 295-A deals with deliberate and malicious acts,
intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting religion
or religious beliefs.
On Monday, the Hansi sub-divisional magistrate court had
issued a non-bailable warrant against Agnivesh and directed
that he be produced before it on September 19.
Turning down Agnivesh`s plea, Justice Mittal observed
"averments made in the FIR regarding utterances attributed to
the petitioner do prima facie make out a case under Section
295-A, IPC, because such utterances certainly hurt the
religious feelings of Hindus, who undertake the holy Amarnath
yatra."
PTI
