Criminal cases registered against Togadia, organisers

Bengaluru, Feb 9: Criminal cases have been registered against VHP leader Praveen Togadia and organisers of 'Hindu Virat Samavesha' for allegedly violating prohibitory orders issued by Bengaluru Police Commissioner M N Reddi.

"We have booked one criminal case against Togadia and cases against the organisers for violating prohibitory orders," a top police official, who did not wish to be named, told PTI here tonight. Togadia has been booked under Section 188 of IPC,invoked against an offender for disobeying the order duly promulgated by public servant.

Sections 143 (punishment for unlawful assembly), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence omitted in prosecution of common object), and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the IPC have been invoked against event organisers, he said.

Section 188 was also invoked against the organisers for violating orders for holding the programme beyond the prescribed time limit. "Permission was granted to hold the event from 3 PM to 5 PM, but it extended to 7.40 PM," the official said.

This section also was invoked against organisers for playing a 15-minute video footage of Togadia's speech, defying the orders of the Police Commissioner, the official said. On February 7 Reddi had issued an order, prohibiting organisers from displaying and transmitting Togadia's speech through any form of media for two days.

He had last week had imposed the prohibitory orders on the ground that Togadia's 'provocative' and 'inflammatory' speeches would have 'grave' consequences and likelihood of breach of peace. VHP had challenged the Commissioner's orders on Togadia's entry into the city in the High Court with the interim prayer for a stay on the ban. While declining the interim plea, the Judge, however, had said Hegde's petition was maintainable and adjourned the matter without mentioning the next date of hearing.

PTI