The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday quashed the FIR registered by the Bantwal police against Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Puttur MLA Sanjeeva Matandur, RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat and others for violating prohibitory orders. Kateel and the others were booked for violating Section 144 of the CrPC during protests against the alleged killing of RSS activist Sharath Madivala. They had approached the court, seeking quashing of the FIR registered against them.
Sharath, 28, was brutally assaulted by a group of miscreants on BC Road in Bantwal taluk on July 4, 2017. He succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Mangaluru on July 7. The murder resulted in violence in many parts of Dakshina Kannada district.
Several Hindu activists and BJP leaders had staged protests to condemn the killing of Sharath, while seeking initiation of criminal action against those involved in the murder.
A stone-pelting incident was reported during his funeral procession and several leaders of pro-Hindu organisations and BJP were arrested.
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