BENGALURU — Following a formal legal review, the Vidhana Soudha Police Station in Bengaluru has registered a Zero FIR against members of the Uttarakhand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—including state BJP President Mahendra Bhatt—over an alleged “purification ritual” (Shuddhikkaran) conducted at Haldwani’s Ramlila Ground.
The legal proceedings, initiated by T. R. Ramappa, former vice-chairman of the Adivasi Congress (ST Department), allege that the August 10 ceremony was designed to project the rally venue as “impure” owing to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s Dalit identity. In accordance with zero FIR protocols, the primary case file is being transferred to the Haldwani Kotwali Police Station in Nainital District, Uttarakhand, for formal investigation.
Statutory Invocations & Case Details
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Procedural Execution: Registered as a Zero FIR at Vidhana Soudha Police Station, Bengaluru, on August 31, 2026; transferred to Nainital District, Uttarakhand, following formal legal opinion obtained on September 4, 2026.
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Primary Accused: Uttarakhand BJP members and state BJP President Mahendra Bhatt, named for publicly defending and endorsing the ritual through media statements.
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Applicable Provisions:
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SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989: Section 3(1)(u) for promoting feelings of enmity, hatred, or ill-will against Scheduled Caste members.
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Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955: Sections 7(1)(c), 7(1)(d), and 7(1)(e) regarding the enforcement of disabilities stemming from untouchability.
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Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023: Section 196(1)(b) for acts prejudicial to harmony and promoting group enmity on grounds of caste.
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Inter-Jurisdictional Scope & Institutional Escalation
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Pan-India Legal Tracking: The Bengaluru filing forms part of at least eight separate FIRs registered across multiple state jurisdictions regarding the Haldwani incident.
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Parliamentary & Executive Interventions: Mallikarjun Kharge addressed the issue in the Rajya Sabha and issued a formal communication to Leader of the House J. P. Nadda, equating the ritual to constitutional violations and referencing historical anti-untouchability movements such as the 1927 Mahad Satyagraha.
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Cross-Filing Dynamics: Local Haldwani Police previously registered an FIR against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi following a complaint alleging casteist misrepresentation of what organizers termed a routine religious ceremony—a charge Congress leadership characterized as an attempt to divert attention from the central offense.
