The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday granted interim protection to Sonu Nigam, saying that no coercive action be taken against him in the case filed over his alleged remarks at a recent concert. Additional State Public Prosecutor B.N. Jagadeesha informed the court that “no coercive steps” will be taken if Nigam cooperates with the police investigation and the court also allowed the singer to appear virtually for questioning, if required by the investigating officer.
Addressing the concerns raised by Nigam’s counsel about media attention during a public appearance, the court remarked, “If you want physical appearance, you go to his place and record his statement. He could bear the expenses.”
During the hearing, Nigam’s counsel, Dhananjay Vidyapati, argued that the complaint was motivated by publicity and that the charges under Section 505 of the IPC (public mischief) were not applicable. He maintained that the event concluded without any disruption and the FIR was lodged by a third party with no direct involvement.
The state’s counsel, however, emphasized that the singer had not cooperated with the investigation so far, “Whether the comments were intentional or not cannot be adjudicated under Section 482 (CrPC). He has not cooperated with the investigation. He could have at least said he was busy,” the State’s counsel further added, “A person who does not respect due process of law cannot be given benefit under 482… He is not a normal man, but that is precisely why he should not have made such a statement.”
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About The Controversy
Sonu Nigam recently lost his cool at the concert in Bengaluru after a rude fan asked him to sing in Kannada. Addressing the crowd, Sonu said on stage, “Mujhe accha nahi laga ki waha ek ladka jiski umar, jitni uske umar nahi hogi use pehle toh main Kannada gaane garaha hoon (I didn’t like the boy whose age, I have been singing Kannada songs before he was born). He was so rudely threatening me, ‘Kannada, Kannada’. Yahi kaaran hai, Pahalgam mein jo hua hai na? Yahi kaaran hai jo karrahe ho, jo kiya tha na abhi? Dekho toh kaun saamne khada hai. I love Kannadigas, I love you guys (This is the reason what happened in Pahalgam. This is the reason, what you did just now. Look at first who is standing in front of you).”
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a pro-Kannada organization filed a police complaint against the singer. The FIR read: “Sonu Nigam’s statements have caused severe distress to the Kannadiga community. By equating a simple cultural request to sing a Kannada song with a terrorist act, Shri Nigam has portrayed Kannadigas as intolerant or violent, which is contrary to their peace-loving and harmonious nature.”
Also Read: Sonu Nigam Responds To Kannada Song Row, Denies Disrespect To Community: ‘I love Kannadigas They…’
