Sat Mar 01 15:58:31 UTC 2025: ## Karnataka High Court Quashes Charges Against Students, Faculty Over Controversial Skit
**Bengaluru, March 1, 2025** – The Karnataka High Court has dismissed criminal charges against two faculty members and seven students from Jain (Deemed-to-be) University’s Centre for Management Studies (CMS). The charges, filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, stemmed from a skit performed during the Jain University Youth Fest-23 in February 2023.
The skit, part of a student acting competition called “MAD ADS,” allegedly insulted B.R. Ambedkar and the Dalit community. However, Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar ruled that the skit, while satirical in its commentary on the reservation system and class structures, was protected under Article 19 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression.
The court found that the skit was intended as entertainment and lacked the necessary intent to insult or humiliate any specific community. Crucially, the court noted that the First Information Report (FIR) was not filed by a member of the SC/ST community, and there was no evidence suggesting the petitioners intended to harm or intimidate any particular group.
The petitioners, who included the CMS director and an assistant professor, argued that the skit aimed to criticize the reservation system while promoting equality. The High Court agreed, stating that the “necessary ingredients constituting the alleged offences are conspicuously absent.” The charges are therefore quashed. This decision concludes a case that sparked protests from students at the University of Mysore following the February 2023 event.
First Piper 