Jammu court appoints SSP as inquiry officer to probe Stalin’s ‘Sanatan’ remarks

Three Jammu-based lawyers of the high court—Atul Raina, Pankaj Sharma and Nikhil Narayan Sharma, who are also members of Ekam Sanatan Bharat Dal’s advocate council, had filed a complaint before the court of chief judicial magistrate under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure and sought court directions to the police for registering an FIR against Stalin for his recent hate speech against “Sanatan Dharma”.

A local court on Friday appointed the Jammu senior superintendent of police (SSP) as the inquiry officer to probe Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s alleged remarks against “Sanatan Dharma”.

The applicants had produced in the court, a part of the hate speech read by Udhayanidhi Stalin (above) from a written speech at a seminar in Chennai on September 2. (PTI File)

The court has appointed SSP Chandan Kohli as the inquiry officer to investigate the matter.

Three Jammu-based lawyers of the high court—Atul Raina, Pankaj Sharma and Nikhil Narayan Sharma, who are also members of Ekam Sanatan Bharat Dal’s advocate council, had filed a complaint before the court of chief judicial magistrate under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure and sought court directions to the police for registering an FIR against Stalin for his recent hate speech against “Sanatan Dharma”.

The applicants had produced in the court, a part of the hate speech read by Stalin from a written speech at a seminar in Chennai on September 2.

Taking cognisance of the application, the court of special mobile magistrate, in its order, observed, “I deem it fit at first to ascertain the truthfulness of the contents penned down in the complaint and hence issuance of process against the accused is hereby postponed.”

“SSP Jammu is hereby appointed as inquiry officer for conducting an inquiry under Section 202 of the CrPC. Let the copy of this order along with the copy of the complaint be forwarded to SSP Jammu, who shall conduct the inquiry into the matter and shall file the inquiry report in this court by or before October 20,” the court order read.

The applicants were represented in the court by national president of Ekam Sanatan Bharat Dal, advocate Ankur Sharma.

It may be stated here that the Supreme Court on Friday has also issued a notice to Tamil Nadu ministers Udhayanidhi Stalin, A Raja and 12 others over comments on Sanatana Dharma.

The court has issued a notice on plea seeking an FIR against Udhayanidhi Stalin for his “eradicate Sanatan Dharma” remark.