Patna High Court Halts National Anthem Controversy Against Nitish Kumar
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Synopsis
On April 17, the Patna High Court granted interim relief to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, staying proceedings in a case alleging insult to the National Anthem. The court found merit in his arguments against the complaint, which stemmed from a controversial video. A notice has been issued to the complainant with the next hearing scheduled for May 1, 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Patna High Court grants interim relief to Nitish Kumar.
- Proceedings in the National Anthem case are stayed.
- Video controversy led to the complaint.
- Next hearing scheduled for May 1, 2025.
- Arguments highlight misuse of legal procedures.
Patna, April 17 (NationPress) The Patna High Court (HC) has provided interim relief to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by halting proceedings in a complaint case that claims he insulted the National Anthem on Thursday.
The court has also issued a notice to the complainant regarding this issue. The ruling was made by Justice Chandra Shekhar Jha during the hearing of a criminal petition submitted by the Chief Minister, which sought the quashing of the complaint.
The dispute arose after a video surfaced on social media, depicting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar gesturing while the National Anthem was being played during the inauguration of the Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025 at the Patliputra Sports Complex in the Kankarbagh area of Patna last month.
A resident of Begusarai, Vikas Paswan, filed a complaint in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Begusarai, on March 22, 2025, alleging that the Chief Minister disrespected the National Anthem.
Since the CJM was on leave, the case was transferred to Judicial Magistrate Mayank Kumar, who accepted the case for hearing and issued a notice to Nitish Kumar on March 25, instructing him to present his defense by April 4, 2025.
On behalf of the Chief Minister, Advocate General P.K. Shahi argued that the complaint was politically motivated and represented an abuse of criminal law.
He pointed out that the Indian Civil Protection Code (ICPC) - the new criminal law - was not adhered to properly. Specifically, the notice was issued without examining the complainant, and as a public servant, the accused should not have been summoned without due process.
Justice Jha, recognizing the validity of the arguments, noted that the lower court’s actions seemed legally flawed and stayed further proceedings.
The High Court has ordered that a notice be served to the complainant, with the next hearing set for May 1, 2025.
