A Bengaluru court on Wednesday ordered the Karnataka Police to initiate an inquiry against the state’s Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister KS Eshwarappa for making allegedly communal speeches after the murder of a worker of Hindutva group Bajrang Dal, reported Bar and Bench.

The Bajrang Dal member, 23-year old Harsha, was allegedly killed by unknown persons in Shivamogga city on February 20. After his death, mobs threw stones at the homes of Muslims and ransacked their vehicles. The next day, violence broke out during his funeral procession in which 20 people were injured.

Advertisement

On February 21, Eshwarappa had alleged that Harsha had been killed by “Musalmaan goondas [Muslim goons]”, ANI reported.

In his complaint, Riyaz Ahamed of the Shivamogga Peace Organisation, had alleged that before the police could investigate Harsha’s death, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader, and Channabasappa, a local body member in Shivamogga, had publicly made allegations that the murder was due to political and religious causes, reported The News Minute.

Ahamed had moved the Bengaluru’s Special Court for People’s Representatives after the police did not take action on a complaint filed at a local police station, according to the news website.

Advertisement

The complaint demanded that Eshwarappa be booked under Sections 124A (bringing or attempting to bring hatred by words), 153A (promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion), 153B, 295A (deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code.

At Wednesday’s hearing, the special court held that the police had not taken action on the matter. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Preeth J also directed Shivamogga’s Doddapete police stationto submit a report by May 5 on investigations into all allegations of provocative speeches made in relation to Harsha’s death, Live Law reported.