Supreme Court dismisses plea against Narayana Murthy

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to interfere with an order of the Karnataka High Court quashing criminal proceedings against Chief Mentor of Infosys N.R. Narayana Murthy for allegedly insulting the National Anthem at a function in which the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, participated.

The proceedings against him were initiated under the provisions of the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act (PINH Act).

A three-Judge Bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice C.K. Thakker and Justice R.V. Raveendran dismissed a special leave petition filed by the Kannada Rakshna Vakeelara Vedeka challenging the High Court order dated August 14, 2007.

According to the petitioner, Mr. Kalam participated at a function on April 8, 2007 at the office of Infosys in Mysore. At the start and end of the programme singing of the National Anthem was cancelled; instead the musical version of the anthem was played. When mediapersons asked Mr. Murthy why it was so, he had reportedly said, “We had formed a five-member team to sing [the] Indian National Anthem, but as foreign dignitaries were present on the dais, with a view to avoiding any delicacy or causing inconvenience to them we have cancelled the same.”

The petitioner said that the Vedeka was deeply hurt by non-singing of the National Anthem and the statement made by Mr. Murthy and a private complaint was filed alleging that he had committed an offence punishable under Section 3 of the PINH Act. (Section 3 says “whoever intentionally prevents the singing of Indian National Anthem or causes disturbances to any assembly engaged in such singing shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.)

News Source : Samachar