Singer Sonu Nigam moves K'taka HC seeking quashing of criminal case over Kannada remark

Bengaluru | Singer Sonu Nigam has approached the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash a criminal case registered against him over alleged offensive remarks made about the Kannadigas during a recent concert in Bengaluru.

The petition was listed before the vacation bench of Justice Shivashankar Amarannavar, who deferred the matter for hearing on a later date.

The controversy stems from an incident that occurred on April 25 at a live concert held at an engineering college in Bengaluru.

During the performance, several members of the audience requested Nigam to sing in Kannada. Reports state that the singer declined the request and expressed displeasure at the manner in which it was made, accusing some attendees of being impolite. Although Nigam affirmed his respect and admiration for Kannadigas, he allegedly drew a controversial parallel by stating, “This is the reason Pahalgam happened,” referencing a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam region.

The statement quickly gained traction on social media and sparked outrage.

On May 2, TA Dharmaraj, president of the Bangalore City District Unit of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayana Gowda faction), lodged a complaint over the remark.

Based on this complaint, Avalahalli police registered a case on May 3 under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023—specifically Sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 352(1) (insult intended to provoke breach of peace), and 353 (statements likely to incite public mischief).

Following the backlash, Nigam issued public statements expressing regret and apologised for his comments. However, the legal proceedings have continued, prompting the singer to file the present plea for dismissal of the charges.