Karnataka High Court Declines To Quash Defamation Case Against BJP Leader V Sunil Kumar On Complaint Made By Pramod Muthalik

The Karnataka High Court on Friday refused to quash criminal defamation proceedings initiated against Bharatiya Janata Party leader V Sunil Kumar, on the complaint made by Founder President of Sri Ram Sene, Pramod Muthalik.

A single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna dismissed the petition and orally said “This mudslinging should stop, elections are fought on making speeches against each other, not on what the party has done, what the government has done.”

Kumar had approached the court seeking to quash the prosecution initiated for the offences punishable under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code.

Kumar had contested as a BJP candidate while Muthalik contested as an independent candidate from the Karkala constituency in the State Assembly election. It is alleged that after Kumar won the elections during a meeting he made the alleged defamatory statement against Mutalik.

On September 7, 2023, Mutalik had filed a private complaint before the Magistrate court. The court issued process in the matter on March 20. The detailed order copy will be made available next week.

Case Title: V Sunil Kumar AND Pramod Mutalik

Case No: WP 19821/2024

Citation No: 2024 LiveLaw (Kar) 402

Appearance: Advocate Vinod Kumar M for Petitioner