The Principal Civil Judge and JMFC Court in Belthangady has convicted SDPI National General Secretary Riyaz Farangipete in a 2015 hate speech case, sentencing him to six months of simple imprisonment and imposing a fine of ₹10,000.
As per a The Hindu report, Magistrate Ramalingappa pronounced the sentence on Tuesday after finding Farangipete guilty of the offence under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with promoting enmity between different groups on grounds such as religion and acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony.
Following the sentencing, the court remanded Farangipete to judicial custody to serve the prison term. A warrant specifying the sentence was subsequently issued and forwarded to the Prison Department for execution.
Speech Delivered At PFI Protest In 2015
According to the chargesheet, the case stems from a speech delivered by Farangipete during a Popular Front of India (PFI) protest meeting held in Belthangady on 23 July 2015.
During the speech, Farangipete allegedly declared that if attacks on Muslims continued in the name of cow protection, PFI activists would slaughter cows publicly and sell beef. He further stated that during the upcoming Bakrid festival, PFI workers would sell beef in front of the Belthangady bus stand and that they would teach a fitting lesson to anyone attempting to prevent them from doing so.
The police treated the speech as inflammatory and capable of provoking communal disharmony. After obtaining the requisite sanction from the government, they filed a chargesheet against Farangipete under Sections 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code.
Court Says Speech Had Potential To Disturb Communal Harmony
In his 33-page judgment, Magistrate Ramalingappa observed that although the speech did not result in communal violence, it had the clear potential to disturb peace and harmony between communities.
The court held that the absence of actual violence did not diminish the seriousness of the offence, noting that the possible consequences of such public speeches could not be ignored.
The Magistrate further observed that the offence committed by Farangipete could not be treated as trivial and concluded that merely issuing a warning would be inappropriate since the accused had deliberately made an inflammatory public speech.
Accordingly, the court convicted Farangipete under Section 153A of the IPC and sentenced him to six months of simple imprisonment along with a fine of ₹10,000.
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