New Delhi – The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that using terms like “Miyan Tiyan” or “Pakistani” is not a criminal offense. The verdict came after an 80-year-old man was accused of making such remarks.
The court acknowledged the terms were inappropriate but said they do not hurt religious sentiments. Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma stated, “The appellant is accused of hurting religious sentiments with these remarks. However, they do not qualify as a criminal offense.”
The case stemmed from an FIR in Jharkhand filed by Md Shamim Uddin against Hari Nandan Singh, alleging verbal abuse and physical coercion while he was at work. Charges included Sections 298 (hurting religious sentiments), 504 (intentional insult), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
The court ruled that Section 353 IPC, related to assault on a public servant, did not apply as no physical force was used.
