HC quashes proceedings against Murthy

BANGALOR: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday quashed proceedings initiated against the chief mentor of Infosys Technologies Ltd, N R Narayana Murthy, in a lower court on a complaint over his alleged remarks on the singing of the national anthem.

Justice K Bhakthavatsala passed the order on a criminal petition filed by Murthy.

A private complaint was filed by the Karnataka Rakshana Vakeelara Vedike before the second additional city metropolitan magistrate here, which passed the order on May 26, issuing summons to him.

The Vedike had alleged that Murthy had passed insulting remarks about the national anthem during a press conference on April 8 after the then President A P J Abdul Kalam visited the company's Mysore campus.

Murthy's advocate K K Venugopal had contended that his client was not guilty of any offence and playing the instrumental version did not amount to any violation.

The judge accepted Murthy's contention that the Additional City Metropolitan Magistrate had no jurisdiction in taking cognizance of a remark allegedly made in Mysore.

The court also observed that playing the instrumental version of the national anthem did not violate provisions of the National Honours Act. A similar case, filed by former Minister H N Nanje Gowda, is pending before a local court in Mysore.