Congress chief Rajeev Gowda
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday asked the police why they did not charge the more serious offense of “insulting the modesty of a woman by word, gesture or act” against Congress president BV Rajeev Gowda for using abusive language and threatening the Sidlaghatta Municipal Council (CMC) commissioner in Chickballapur district over the removal of his portraits and banners.
The court made these observations while rejecting the plea of Mr. Gowda, 46, to quash the First Information Report (FIR) registered against him on January 14 on a complaint filed by CMC Commissioner Amritha.G and another person.
“A plain reading of the complaint and the conversation would unmistakably reveal that Mr. Gowda spoke in a manner that impugns the dignity of a woman or even other public servants and the language and tenor attributed to him would prima facie reveal offenses under Section 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) (NSA.Bharatiya) (NSA.Bharatiya)
Hard to understand
The court stated that “it is difficult to understand how the prosecution did not plead this crime (Section 79 BNS), regardless of the nature of the conversation attributed to the petitioner, as it was against a woman who is a civil servant.”
The Sidlaghatta Municipal Police invoked only sections 132 (assault or criminal force intended to deter a public servant from the performance of his duty), 224 (threatened to injure a public servant), 352 (intentional insult with intent to cause a breach of the peace) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation by threat thereof) against the BNS.
While willing to tender a public apology, the petitioner contended that there was no material to invoke Section 132 which was the only cognizable offense among the offenses invoked against him.
The remarks against the policewoman clearly deserve investigation for their seriousness and intent, the court said, pointing out that it is not appropriate at this stage to interfere with the investigation that has just begun.
Illegal banners
Meanwhile, the court observed that it is high time the state government wakes up and seriously enforces the law against unauthorized placards, placards and forgeries as such promotional materials erected indiscriminately across cities create a menace to the public.
The petitioner had put up banners all over Sidlaghatta town to promote the Kannada film Cult starring Zaid Khan, son of BZ Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan in connection with an event to promote the film scheduled on January 13 in Sidlaghatta and some of these banners were removed by the CMC staff after receiving complaints that the banners were obstructing vehicular movement.
Published – 22 Jan 2026 22:58 IST
