Bombay High Court Dismisses Complaint Against Kailash Kher Over Religious Sentiment Claims

The court ruled that there was no deliberate or malicious intent in the singer's performance of a song praising Lord Shiva.

The Bombay High Court quashed a complaint against singer Kailash Kher, filed under IPC Sections 295A and 298, which pertain to outraging religious sentiments with deliberate intent.
The complaint, lodged in Ludhiana in 2014, alleged that Kher's song 'Babam Bam' featured a vulgar video that hurt the complainant's religious feelings.
The court emphasized that the song's lyrics were purely in praise of Lord Shiva and that dislike of an act does not necessarily constitute outraging religious sentiments.
It ruled that there was no evidence of deliberate or malicious intent on Kher's part, as he was only the singer and not involved in the video's choreography.
The decision highlighted the importance of distinguishing dissent and personal dislike from legal grounds for outrage, quoting A.G. Noorani on societal intolerance of dissent.