The Punjab and Haryana High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against Punjabi actor Rana Jung Bahdur, who faced charges of hurting religious sentiments. The court observed that regardless of religion, all worshipped Gods were once born as humans, and it is through their contributions to society that they attained divinity.
The actor was booked by the Jalandhar police on June 10, 2022, for allegedly making “objectionable” remarks about Maharshi Valmiki during a television show. The FIR was registered under Section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Members of the Valmiki community had protested in Jalandhar following the actor’s remarks.
Rana Jung Bahdur challenged the FIR in the high court on March 9, 2023. During the proceedings, the court acknowledged that the story of Maharshi Valmiki’s transformation is well-established in folklore and scriptures, even if it may not align with the views of the complainant.
“The petitioner is accused of having drawn a simile quoting instances from the life of Maharshi Valmiki. The gravamen of the allegations against the petitioner is reference by the petitioner to Maharshi Valmiki as a dacoit in the early part of his life. The court does not wish to go into the veracity of the aforesaid fact,” stated the court.
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Justice Pankaj Jain, while quashing the FIR and related proceedings, emphasized that the concept of mortals attaining divinity is deeply rooted in Indian ethos and is applicable to religions originating outside India as well. “The journey from ‘nar to narayan’ is not only embedded in the ethos of India but is also true to the religions born outside India,” the bench remarked.
