The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to grant protection from arrest to singer-composer Vishal Dadlani, who is facing arrest over his remarks made against a Jain spiritual guru on Twitter.
The Court directed Dadlani to approach the concerned High Court and said that it would not like to entertain such matters in which the High Court was competent to grant interim relief and decide on the constitutionality of the provisions in Indian Penal Code that relate to insulting religion and promoting enmity among classes of people.
Appearing for Dadlani before a Bench of Justices V Gopala Gowda and Adarsh Goel, advocate Karuna Nundy said that the singer who is a renowned composer of Bollywood has been targeted as part of a "political conspiracy". She said that multiple FIRs have been registered by police in Haryana against her client following his Twitter remark against Jain monk Tarun Sagar, who on being invited by the Haryana Assembly, appeared naked to address the House.
Despite fervent requests to quash the case registered against him under IPC Sections 153A (promoting enmity between classes), 295A (maliciously insulting the religion or religious beliefs of any class) and 509 (uttering any word or making any gesture to insult the modesty of a woman), the Court declined to intervene.
Dadlani had later apologised for his remark but that did not suffice for withdrawal of criminal prosecution against him.