The Karnataka High Court has sharply criticised the state government and police over the alleged mob assault on a mentally unsound 19-year-old youth in Chamarajanagar district, with Justice M. Nagaprasanna making sweeping oral observations about the collapse of law and order in the state. The remarks came during a hearing on a petition filed by the youth's father seeking to quash the criminal case registered against his son.

What the Court Said

After being shown photographs of the incident, Justice Nagaprasanna delivered a pointed rebuke from the bench. 'Is this rule of law, what is this? This is why I have been telling daily, the State is in anarchy. There is no rule of law. Nowhere in the world this happens. In a democratic set-up this does not happen,' the judge said during the hearing.

The court further observed: 'Even in the worst of regimes, these things have stopped happening long ago. But not in this country.' The remarks reflect rare judicial candour on a matter touching both civil liberties and the treatment of vulnerable individuals by state machinery.

The Incident in Chamarajanagar

The case stems from an incident reported last month in a village in Chamarajanagar district, where the youth — described as mentally unstable — was accused of damaging the lighting on a signboard bearing the portrait of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. According to submissions before the court, local residents allegedly stripped the youth naked, tied him to an electric pole, and assaulted him before police personnel arrived and rescued him.

Despite his documented mental condition, police registered a case against him under Sections 299 and 324(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — provisions relating to deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings and mischief causing property damage — as well as provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Police Conduct Under Scrutiny

The court was also informed that a Superintendent of Police was caught on camera allegedly threatening the youth with externment proceedings and warning that a fresh FIR would be registered against him every year. Justice Nagaprasanna responded sharply: 'The SP has no business to talk like this. What is this appeasement of this kind?'

The Karnataka High Court had previously directed police not to take any coercive action against the petitioner while allowing the investigation to continue. That interim protection remains in place.

Broader Context

The case raises serious questions about the application of criminal law to individuals with mental illness, the accountability of police officers captured on video making threats, and mob justice in rural Karnataka. Notably, this is not the first time the Karnataka High Court has expressed concern over law enforcement conduct in the state — but the 'State is in anarchy' framing signals an unusual degree of judicial alarm. The matter remains under consideration before the court, with further hearings expected.