College principal booked for hurting religious sentiments

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana April 18

The Division No. 8 police have booked the principal, a professor and students of SCD College, Civil Lines, for hurting religious sentiment in a play, which depicted Hindu Gods and Goddesses in an insulting manner.

As per Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Civil Lines, Mandeep Singh, a case under Section 295 A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion), IPC, has been registered against the college Principal, Dharam Singh Sandhu, Prof Neelam Bhardwaj and 12 students.

“We have registered an FIR at the police Division No. 8 against the principal, professor and students of the college. Further investigation is on to verify the role of the booked persons,” the ACP told The Tribune.

The complainant in the case, Chetan Malhotra, Sanyojak Bajrant Dal, Ludhiana district, said, “The SCD Government College alumni meet was organised at the college campus on April 7. During the meet college students staged a religious play.”

“In the play, students insulted Hindu God Sri Ram and Goddess Sita by uttering objectionable and disrespectful dialogues. It hurt sentiments of the Hindu religion,” he added.

“The college principal, who was aware about the play, did not object to presentation of Hindu Gods and Goddess in a poor light. Even the college professor, who directed the show, did not point out any discrepancies in dialogues,” alleged Malhotra.

“When we submitted a complaint at the police Division No. 8 no action was taken. We also staged a protest outside the SCD College still the police did not register an FIR against its principal and others. It was on April 15 almost a week after that an FIR was registered,” he said.

“If the police does not arrest the college principal and others, we will launch an agitation,” he added.

When contacted, Principal Dharam Singh Sandhu told The Tribune, “I was not aware about content of the play staged during the alumni meet, which could hurt sentiments of the Hindu religion. When the play began, I heard objectionable dialogues spoken by artistes against Hindu Gods and Goddess. I immediately directed artistes to stop the play.”

“The play was stopped within two to three minutes. We respect Hindu religion. We cannot hurt sentiments of any religion deliberately,” Sandhu added.