Anthem issue: HC stays proceedings on NRN

Bangalore, Jun 1: The Karantaka High Court today stayed the proceedings in a lower court, against Infosys Chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy for allegedly showing disrespect to National Anthem during the visit of President Abdul Kalam to Mysore recently.

The issue which came before the High Court, when Mr Murthy had sought quashing of proceedings against him following a petition filed by activists belonging to Karnataka Rakshana Vakilara Vedike in the Second City Metropolitan Magistrate's court.

The court had issued summons directing Mr Murthy to appear on or before June 21.

In his appeal to the High Court, Mr Murthy had contended that he had not prevented any person from singing the National Anthem and hence a case under Section 3 pertaining to insult to National honours would not arise.

Justice N Shantana Gouda, passing an interim order, stayed all the proceedings of the lower court for eight weeks and posted the next hearing on July nine.

The petition was filed in the lower court citing the incident of playing musical version of National Anthem when President Kalam visited the Infosys Global Training Center in Mysore on April eight, which the petitioners contended was against the law.

Mr Murthy had told reporters in Mysore on the same day that the musical version was played as singing the Anthem would have 'embarrassed' the foreign students who were present at the function.

He however, had clarified later that he had not done anything to violate the National anthem and in fact sung the Anthem when the musical was being played.

The episode led to a forore and several organisations had protested against his remarks. Some of them had even filed police complaints in this regard.

UNI