This is an archive article published on February 2, 2023

Karnataka VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell booked over remarks on 2002 Gujarat riots

Activist Syed Burhan Uddin had filed a complaint stating that VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell was trying to create enmity among different religions through provocative speeches.

The case against Pumpwell has been registered at the Thilak Park police station in Tumakuru town. (File)

2 min readBengaluruFeb 3, 2023 06:51 AM IST First published on: Feb 2, 2023 at 05:36 PM IST

Days after Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sharan Pumpwell defended the 2002 Gujarat riots, the police in Karnataka’s Tumakuru have registered a case against him.

The police said the case against Pumpwell has been registered at the Thilak Park police station in Tumakuru town under section 295 (a) (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The case was registered after social activist Syed Burhan Uddin filed a complaint stating that the VHP leader was trying to create enmity among different religions through provocative speeches. He also said Tumakuru is a peaceful place and people like Pumpwell are trying to create a divide among the public based on religious lines.

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Pumpwell, a provincial secretary of the VHP, had made the remarks while addressing the Shaurya Yathre event of Bajrang Dal held in Tumakuru.

Last month, the father of Mohammed Fazil, a man murdered in Mangalore, had lodged a complaint against Pumpwell and asked the police to investigate his role in the crime. Pumpwell had said Fazil was killed to ‘avenge’ the murder of BJP leader Praveen Nettaru.