Gujarat govt’s plea rejected AHMEDABAD: A sessions court refused to permit Gujarat govt to withdraw a criminal case against 19 Karni Sena activists, who were booked for vandalising a mall, torching vehicles and damaging property during their protest against the release of the film ‘Padmavat’ in 2018. The court said the alleged offence was committed “to achieve personal interest and to maintain dominance of a particular community, ignoring the public interest”. It noted that the accused caused damage to the tune of Rs 16.4 lakh during the rioting. tnn Accused not criminals but youth high on emotions: Court Karni Sena’s candle march on Jan 23, 2018, in protest against the movie event took a violent turn, with 19 participants being booked for rioting, unlawful assembly, arson, and criminal conspiracy under provisions of IPC, section 3(1) of Damages to Public Property Act and section 135(1) of Gujarat Police Act. After investigation, police filed a chargesheet and the case has been pending in a sessions court since 2019. The state govt first requested a JMFC court to allow it to withdraw the case under CrPC section 321, but the request was refused in 2022. It then approached the Ahmedabad (rural) sessions court and submitted that the decision to withdraw prosecution was based only on the interest of the public at large, and would be helpful in the administration of justice. The accused are not criminals but younsters who acted in the heat of passion and were high on emotions, it argued. However, additional sessions judge Hardik Shah said court can’t permit withdrawal of prosecution merely because state govt issued an order to the public prosecutor. The court said the prosecutor did not apply his mind or express his opinion on the issue.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCongress Leader Nana Patole’s ‘Rahul Like Ram’ Remark Sparks Row; BJP Hits BackWest Bengal SIR Brings Home A Man Presumed Dead For 28 Years In UP’s MuzaffarnagarIndia And Pakistan Exchange List Of Nuclear Installations Under 1988 Agreement‘Vote Theft In Bengal’: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee Slams ECI Over SIR, BJP Fires Back180 Kmph While You Sleep! India’s Latest Vande Bharat Sleeper Marks New Era. Check Fares, FeaturesBJP Leader Attacks Shah Rukh Khan Over KKR’s Bangladeshi Cricketer Amid Hindu Lynching in BangladeshRajnath Singh Links Lord Ram’s Ethics To Operation Sindoor, Says India Fought Terror With DignityCleanliness Crown Cracks As Indore Loses 13 Lives To Poisoned Water And Administrative Lapses’India Belongs To Everyone’: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat After Tripura Student Dies In Racial AttackIndia’s Silent Warriors On Kartavya Path Bring Army’s Battle-Tested Animals To Republic Day Parade123PhotostoriesHow to make Banana Almond Cake in a pressure cookerVande Bharat Sleeper Train Launch Soon On This Route! Indian Railways’ New Train Better Than Rajdhani – Check Photos, Ticket Price & Top 10 Facts10 iconic dishes the Mughals gave to IndiaCalcium isn’t enough: The bone mineral women forgetKidney damage: 10 symptoms of kidney problems people mistake for dehydration3 bitter truths about packaged foods you didn’t knowInside ‘Bigg Boss 19’ fame Ashnoor Kaur’s tech-savvy Mumbai homeFrom Arjun Tendulkar-Saaniya Chandhok to Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce: 5 most-anticipated celebrity weddings of 2026How to make Hara Bhara Kebab for evening snackingTV celebs like Ashnoor Kaur, Hina Khan are welcoming 2026 with open arms in unique ways; here’s how – See Inside123Hot PicksSaudi Strike YemenPAN-Aadhaar link statusBank holiday New YearGold rate todayIncome Tax RefundBahrain Golden Visa 2025Bank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingJustin Thomas Net WorthWWE Star Nikki BellaCardi BCeeDee Lamb Luxury Car CollectionStefon DiggsCaitlin ClarkTom BradyMicah Parsons vs CeeDee Lamb Net WorthNHL Injury UpdateVanessa Bryant
AHMEDABAD: A sessions court refused to permit Gujarat govt to withdraw a criminal case against 19 Karni Sena activists, who were booked for vandalising a mall, torching vehicles and damaging property during their protest against the release of the film ‘Padmavat’ in 2018. The court said the alleged offence was committed “to achieve personal interest and to maintain dominance of a particular community, ignoring the public interest”. It noted that the accused caused damage to the tune of Rs 16.4 lakh during the rioting. tnn Accused not criminals but youth high on emotions: Court Karni Sena’s candle march on Jan 23, 2018, in protest against the movie event took a violent turn, with 19 participants being booked for rioting, unlawful assembly, arson, and criminal conspiracy under provisions of IPC, section 3(1) of Damages to Public Property Act and section 135(1) of Gujarat Police Act. After investigation, police filed a chargesheet and the case has been pending in a sessions court since 2019. The state govt first requested a JMFC court to allow it to withdraw the case under CrPC section 321, but the request was refused in 2022. It then approached the Ahmedabad (rural) sessions court and submitted that the decision to withdraw prosecution was based only on the interest of the public at large, and would be helpful in the administration of justice. The accused are not criminals but younsters who acted in the heat of passion and were high on emotions, it argued. However, additional sessions judge Hardik Shah said court can’t permit withdrawal of prosecution merely because state govt issued an order to the public prosecutor. The court said the prosecutor did not apply his mind or express his opinion on the issue.
