The slogan was raised on December 18, 2022, the complaint came two years later on the strength of a YouTube clip, and no sanction for prosecution was on record: the Karnataka High Court has quashed the Pakistan Zindabad Slogan Case against a man who joined a BJP protest in Mandya.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has put an end to the criminal proceedings pending before the Principal Senior Civil Judge and CJM, Mandya, in C.C. No. 712/2024 against D.S. Ravi Kumar, who stood accused of raising a “Pakistan Zindabad” slogan at a BJP-organised protest on December 18, 2022, finding that their continuation would be an abuse of the process of law [D.S. Ravi Kumar v. State of Karnataka & Anr.].
The writ petition was allowed by Justice V Srishananda on October 28, 2026. Advocate Vinod Kumar M. appeared for the petitioner and High Court Government Pleader Waheeda M.M. for the State.
Why the Court stepped in
The Court started from the setting in which the slogan was allegedly raised:
“At the outset, in a demonstration organized by the Bharathiya Janatha Party-a Political Party, it is highly unimaginable that the protesters therein would raise the slogan ‘Pakistan Zindabad.'”
The petitioner’s explanation, it said, “needs to be considered that in the flow of raising the slogans by mistake the words Zindabad has crept in instead of Murdhabad”. It also noted that the complaint rested on a YouTube clip and was made “after lapse of 2 years of the incident”.
As for the investigation, the Court observed that it had neither identified who took part in the demonstration nor shown any resulting unrest:
“The investigation agency could not get any further information as to who are all participated in such demonstration and what are the repercussions/ consequences of raising such slogans in the society which resulted in unrest in the society of a particular community or public at large.”
Cognizance under Section 505(1)(b) IPC had been taken by the magistrate without the requisite prior sanction, and the ingredients of Section 153B were not attracted, the Court held. Continuing the case, it concluded, “is thus unnecessary and would amounts to abuse of process of law”, and the proceedings were quashed qua the petitioner.
The complaint and the State’s case
Crime No. 30/2024 of Mandya West Police Station was registered in 2024 under Sections 153B and 505(1)(b) of the Indian Penal Code, on a complaint by Kannambadi Kumar, who said he was mentally disturbed after watching a video of the protest. The State told the Court that the clip clearly showed the words “Pakistan Zindabad” being raised during a demonstration held in response to a statement allegedly made by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, and alleged that Ravi Kumar raised the slogan deliberately to create unrest.
What the petitioner said
Counsel for Ravi Kumar said the words were uttered inadvertently in the heat of the protest, that the slogan intended was “Pakistan Murdabad”, and that there was no intention to disturb public order or target any community.
Why the judgment matters
Slogan cases under Sections 153B and 505 IPC turn on intent and effect. Here the High Court weighed the context of the gathering, the delay in the complaint and the absence of any evidence of disturbance, and treated the missing sanction for Section 505(1)(b) as a legal defect in itself. Its observation about the political character of the rally is tied to the facts of this case; the ruling does not lay down that any group is incapable of committing the offence.
Case Title: D.S. Ravi Kumar v. State of Karnataka & Anr.
Case Number: Writ Petition No. 20693 of 2024 (GM-RES); 2026:KHC:59836
Bench: Justice V Srishananda, Karnataka High Court
Date of Order: October 28, 2026
Appearances: Vinod Kumar M., Advocate, for the petitioner; Waheeda M.M., HCGP, for the State