BENGALURU: The High Court of Karnataka has quashed the proceedings against a principal of a government high school, who was booked after a student posted his (principal’s) edited picture standing on the national flag wearing slippers on his WhatsApp status on the day of Gandhi Jayanti.
Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the order on February 21, allowing a petition by Venugopal BC, principal of the Government High School, Nagasandra, questioning the legality of the case registered against him by the president of the human rights protection committee on October 5, 2024.
In his complaint with Bagalagunte police, the committee president sought action against the principal under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insult to the National Honours Act, 1971, for showing disrespect to the national flag.
Comparing the two pictures, the original and the edited one, the judge said it becomes clear that a picture of the petitioner taken elsewhere has been edited and placed on the national flag. It ostensibly cannot be by the petitioner himself, but as admitted by the student.
On October 2, 2024, during an event to mark Gandhi Jayanthi at the school, the petitioner’s WhatsApp status showed him standing on the national flag wearing slippers.
The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the mobile phone of the petitioner was with his students who had edited the picture and posted it on his WhatsApp status. He had no intention of insulting the flag and had no knowledge of what was being circulated by his students.
The student, who had allegedly edited the principal’s picture, gave a written apology after the incident came to light.