Renowned playback singer Sonu Nigam has moved the Karnataka High Court seeking the quashing of a criminal case registered against him over alleged offensive comments regarding Kannadigas during a live performance in Bengaluru.
The petition came up before the vacation bench of Justice Shivashankar Amarannavar, who adjourned the matter for hearing on a later date.
The controversy dates back to an April 25 concert at an engineering college in Bengaluru, where audience members had requested Nigam to sing in Kannada. According to reports, the singer declined and objected to the manner of the requests, calling some attendees impolite. Although he reiterated his respect for Kannadigas, Nigam allegedly made a controversial comparison by stating, “This is the reason Pahalgam happened,” referring to a past terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region.
The comment quickly circulated on social media, leading to widespread criticism and anger.
On May 2, TA Dharmaraj, president of the Bangalore City District Unit of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayana Gowda faction), filed a formal complaint against the singer. Subsequently, the Avalahalli police registered a case on May 3 under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation), Section 352(1) (insult intended to provoke breach of peace), and Section 353 (statements likely to incite public mischief).
In response to the backlash, Nigam issued statements expressing regret and apologised publicly for the remark. Despite this, the legal proceedings continued, prompting the singer to approach the High Court for relief and seek dismissal of the charges.
