A video of the comments later went viral on social media, prompting members of the Christian community to file complaints in multiple police stations across Jashpur.However, police did not take action and directed the complainants to the court, leading Kujur to file a case in the district court on December 10, 2023.
Chhattisgarh: A court in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district has registered a criminal case against BJP MLA Raymuni Bhagat over alleged objectionable remarks about Jesus Christ made last year.
Judicial Magistrate First Class Anil Kumar Chauhan issued the order on January 6 while hearing a complaint filed by Herman Kujur, represented by lawyer Vishnu Kuldeep.The court determined that sufficient grounds existed to register a case against Bhagat under charges of promoting enmity between groups and other related offenses.
Bhagat, who represents the Jashpur assembly constituency, allegedly made the remarks in a local dialect during a program in Dhekni village under Asta police station limits on September 1, 2023.
BRIEF FACTS:
A video of the comments later went viral on social media, prompting members of the Christian community to file complaints in multiple police stations across Jashpur.However, police did not take action and directed the complainants to the court, leading Kujur to file a case in the district court on December 10, 2023.
During the court proceedings, statements from six witnesses were recorded, and a video of Bhagat’s remarks was submitted as evidence.After reviewing the witnesses’ statements and the video, the court concluded that the speech was delivered by Bhagat and constituted a cognizable offense.
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The court noted that the complainants had approached the police and the Superintendent of Police, but no action was taken, as reflected in the investigation report. Consequently, the complaint filed under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was accepted.
The court registered a criminal case against Bhagat under Sections 196 (promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race, language, etc.), 299 (malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), and 302 (deliberate intention to wound religious sentiments) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A notice has been issued to Bhagat requiring her to appear in court on January 10, Kuldeep stated.4o
