Karnataka High Court quashes FIR against school principal based on edited photo uploaded on social media by student

The High Court of Karnataka has quashed criminal proceedings initiated against a government high school principal based on a complaint alleging that he had disrespected National Flag by standing on it with his footwear. A photo of him standing on the flag was uploaded as his social media status.

The court quashed the case after noticing that it was not a photo of him standing on the flag but his portrait, taken at some other place, being placed in the background of the National Flag, giving an impression that he was standing on the flag.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order while allowing the petition filed by Venugopal B.C., principal of Government High School in Nagasandra, Bengaluru, who was booked under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

The case was registered on a complaint filed by B.M. Chikkanna, president of the Human Rights Protection Committee, Chikkabanavara, on October 5, 2024, alleging that a WhatsApp status showed the principal standing with his slippers on the National Flag during the Gandhi Jayanthi celebrations on the school premises.

The court accepted the contention of the petitioner that his mobile phone was with students on October 2 for internet hotspot connection for live coverage of Gandhi Jayanthi celebrations in the school and it was a student, who had edited his photo and posted it as a status on his WhatsApp account without his permission.

It was also argued on behalf of the petitioner that he is a strict teacher and a student had indulged in this mischievous act to cause embarrassment to him, and the particular student along with the parents had submitted an apology letter in this regard.