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Singer Sonu Nigam moves Karnataka HC for quashing of FIR
The FIR, lodged at Avalahalli police station, accuses Nigam of hurting the sentiments of the Kannadiga community during his performance at East Point College in the city on April 25-26
Singer Sonu Nigam approached the Karnataka high court on Tuesday seeking to quash a first information report (FIR) registered against him for allegedly making objectionable remarks during a music concert in Bengaluru.
The FIR, lodged at Avalahalli police station, accuses Nigam of hurting the sentiments of the Kannadiga community during his performance at East Point College in the city on April 25-26.
The matter came up before a vacation bench of Justice Shivashankar Amarannavar on Tuesday and the court posted the case for further hearing on May 15.
The FIR, registered on May 3, follows a complaint filed by pro-Kannada organisation Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and its member, one Dharma Raj Ananthaiha.
The complaint alleges that Nigam’s comments during the event equated an audience request to sing a Kannada song with the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, thereby portraying Kannadigas as intolerant or violent. Ananthaiha, claimed in his complaint that such statements had caused severe distress to the community.
Nigam has been charged under Sections 351, 352, and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for the offences of criminal intimidation, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, and making statements that can to public mischief, respectively.
In his petition, Nigam has sought to quash both the complaint dated May 2 and the FIR dated May 3. As interim relief, he has requested a stay on further investigation into the case.
The controversy began when Nigam, during the concert, reportedly declined demands from a group of audience members to sing in Kannada, leading to a confrontation.
In a video message later posted on social media, the singer clarified his stance and defended himself, saying that a group of boys at the event had rudely threatened him to sing in Kannada while he was performing Hindi songs.
Nigam eventually made a public statement claiming he has deep love for Karnataka and Kannadigas, and that his words were misrepresented.
