Bengaluru: The Karnataka high court on Friday refused to quash the criminal case against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC CT Ravi, who was booked by the Belagavi police last year for allegedly making an obscene remark against state women and child development minister Laxmi Hebbalkar on the floor of the legislative council.
Justice M Nagaprasanna dismissed Ravi’s petition seeking to quash the FIR, ruling that the BJP leader was not entitled to any legislative immunity for comments unrelated to his legislative duties.
Ravi had moved the court seeking quashing of the FIR, arguing that he was entitled to the “blanket immunity” granted to members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) under Article 194(2) of the Constitution.
Senior counsel Prabhuling Navadgi, appearing for Ravi, told the court that the alleged remarks made by the BJP leader could not be investigated by the police or any external agency, as the incident occurred on the floor of the House and the speaker of the state legislative council had already taken cognisance of the matter.
The high court, however, rejected this defence in its order, saying that Ravi had called Hebbalkar a “prostitute.” This clearly constituted an offence under Sections 75 and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which relate to sexual harassment and outraging a woman’s modesty, respectively. “Whether such word spoken is immune from any action. The unequivocal and emphatic answer is, a NO,” the Court said.
Also read:Don’t trust CID probe into charges of abusing Hebbalkar: MLC Ravi
{{/usCountry}}Also read:Don’t trust CID probe into charges of abusing Hebbalkar: MLC Ravi
{{/usCountry}}The court added that calling a fellow woman legislator a prostitute, whether inside or outside the House, had no connection to the transaction of legislative business. “No nexus; no privilege,” observed Justice Nagaprasanna.
The FIR against Ravi was registered on December 19 last year for comments he allegedly made against Hebbalkar on the floor of the legislative council, after the House was adjourned following a commotion over union home minister Amit Shah’s remarks on BR Ambedkar.
Ravi allegedly used obscene language against Hebbalkar after she objected to his sloganeering.
The BJP leader was arrested shortly after, based on a complaint filed by Hebbalkar’s personal assistant. However, he was released from custody the next day after the high court questioned the necessity of the arrest and granted him interim bail.