Karnataka High Court Denies Immunity to BJP's C T Ravi

The Karnataka High Court dismissed BJP MLC C T Ravi's plea to quash criminal charges for allegedly derogatory remarks against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar. The court ruled these actions lacked legislative privilege and could be subject to legal proceedings despite appeals for immunity under Article 194(2) of the Constitution.

The Karnataka High Court has rejected BJP MLC C T Ravi's plea to dismiss criminal charges related to derogatory comments reportedly made against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar. The remarks, delivered within the Legislative Council, spurred legal action that Ravi sought to challenge.

Justice M Nagaprasanna ruled that if the alleged remarks were intended to insult the complainant, they could be taken as an affront to her modesty, and he deemed them unrelated to official legislative matters. As such, the petition was dismissed, asserting no legislative privilege applied.

While Ravi's defense claimed immunity under Article 194(2) of the Constitution, the court cited that immunity for legislative speech is not absolute. Therefore, the actions, especially occurring outside formal sessions, warrant legal scrutiny, aligning with existing Supreme Court rulings on similar matters.

(With inputs from agencies.)