Bengaluru Police Register Zero FIR in Haldwani 'Purification' Case
Bengaluru police filed a zero FIR over the Haldwani 'shuddikaran' ritual, transferring the case to Uttarakhand police.
Bengaluru city police have registered a zero FIR in connection with the alleged purification ceremony held at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, following a political rally addressed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in August.
The complaint was lodged at the Vidhana Soudha police station by T. Ramappa, a former member of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee's SC/ST wing. He alleged that the ritual, conducted on August 11, insulted the community. The event took place three days after Mr. Kharge's rally at the same venue on August 8.
Senior police officials confirmed that a legal opinion was sought before proceeding. A zero FIR has been registered against unknown persons under relevant provisions, including Section 3(1)(u) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Section 7 of the Protection of Civil Rights Act.
The case file will now be transferred to the Haldwani police station for further investigation. The Congress party and Mr. Kharge had earlier demanded that Uttarakhand authorities register an FIR in the matter.