Bombay High Court Clears Kailash Kher of Religious Sentiment Charges

The Bombay High Court dismissed a complaint against singer Kailash Kher for allegedly offending religious sentiments with his song 'Babam Bam' on Lord Shiva. The court found no deliberate intent to harm feelings in the video, which merely praised Lord Shiva, citing societal intolerance of dissent as problematic.

The Bombay High Court has quashed a complaint against singer Kailash Kher, who was accused of hurting religious sentiments with his song 'Babam Bam' featuring Lord Shiva. The court observed that there was no deliberate or malicious intent in Kher's actions, dismissing the claims of vulgarity in the video.

The complaint from Narinder Makkar in Ludhiana led to a legal battle beginning in 2014, alleging that the video was offensive to Shiva devotees due to its portrayal of scantily dressed women. However, the high court concluded that the song was a tribute to Lord Shiva and not intended to outrage religious feelings.

The court, referencing author A G Noorani, noted that intolerance and dissent have historically plagued Indian society. The ruling highlighted the importance of recognizing the right to disagree in a free society, while clarifying that penalizing artistic expression in this case was unwarranted.

(With inputs from agencies.)