Casteist Remark Case: Rajasthan High Court Adjourns Hearing Of Salman Khan's Plea To Quash FIRs

The bench of Justice Sandeep Mehta has listed the matter after eight weeks until a similar petition pending before the Supreme Court is decided.

It was submitted before the Court by the Counsel appearing for Salman Khan, Nishant Bora, that an identical controversy is pending before the Apex Court [Writ petition (Criminal) No.89/2018] and investigation of the FIRs impugned in these misc. petitions has also been stayed by the Supreme Court.

The matter before the Court

Salman Khan had moved the High Court in the year 2018 under Section 482 Cr.P.C. with a prayer for quashing FIR No.30/2018 of Police Station Nagori Gate, Jodhpur for the offences punishable under Sections 153-A, 292, 505, 120-B IPC read with Sections 3(1)(R), 3(1)(U) and 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Khan has been accused of humiliating the Valmiki community by using an offensive word to describe the community in a TV show with regard to the promotion of his film "Tiger Zinda Hai".

In this show, he was asked to give his opinion about his appearance in a dance sequence, to which he had used the word "bhangi" to describe his appearance.

Khan's petition in the SC states that the word was not aimed at or directed towards the Valmiki community and was merely used to describe his appearance in a dance sequence of the film.

As reported by the PTI, talking about the hearing which took place today before the Rajasthan High Court, Khan's Counsel said, "We had moved the high court with a prayer to quash these FIRs in Rajasthan. The court had allowed the petition and had stayed investigation into both these FIRs."

"The matter was listed for hearing today. We apprised the court that a similar petition is pending before the Supreme Court and prayed not to proceed with the hearing in the matter until the petition before the apex court is decided," he said.

Bora also informed that about half a dozen similar FIRs had been filed against Khan in the matter in different states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Delhi, etc. and he had moved the Supreme Court with a prayer to quash these FIRs.

Salman Khan had approached the Supreme Court

It may be noted that the Supreme Court had, on 23^rd April 2018, stayed "further proceedings, including investigation" in cases filed against him under the SC/ST Act in Rajasthan and three other states for alleged offensive remarks against the Valmiki community.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices A M Khanwilkar, and D Y Chandrachud had also issued a notice to Rajasthan government on the plea for quashing of FIR.

[Image Courtesy : India TV News]

Case title - Salman Khan v. State And Anr [S.B. Criminal Misc(Pet.) No. 890/2018 & 639/2018]

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