Anthem row: Case against Narayana Murthy quashed

The Karnataka high court on Monday quashed a complaint against Infosys chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy for violating the National Honours Act.

The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike had filed a complaint against Murthy alleging that he had shown disrespect to the national anthem.

Justice K Bhaktavatsala who heard the case on Tuesday morning, a day before Independence Day, observed that the act by Murthy did not amount to violation of the National Honours Act. The court also observed that no case could be made out against Murthy on this count.

Murthy had called in question the proceedings initiated against him by a lower court in Bangalore. Murthy's lawyer said a Bangalore court had issued summons to him following a private complaint by the Kannada Rakshana Vakeelara Vedike.

The Vedike had filed a private complaint before the second additional city metropolitan magistrate against Murthy for his alleged remarks on singing of the National Anthem. 

Murthy had moved the high court for quashing the May 26, 2007 order passed by the ACMM in issuing summons to him. The Vedike claimed that Murthy had made insulting remarks about the anthem during a media interaction on April 8 after the then President A P J Abdul Kalam visited the corporate education centre of Infosys at Mysore.

Murthy's lawyers contended that the complaint was misconceived and that the ACMM could not have taken cognisance of it. He said though the remark was allegedly made in Mysore, a Bangalore court had taken cognisance of it.

Murthy's battle however does not end here. A similar case is still pending before a court in Mysore. The case is expected to come up for hearing shortly.