Playback singer Sonu Nigam has filed a petition before the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash a case registered against him over alleged hate speech during a recent concert in Bengaluru. The petition was heard on Tuesday by a vacation bench headed by Justice Shivashankar Amarannavar, which adjourned the matter for further hearing.
The case stems from an incident at a live concert where a fan allegedly demanded that Nigam sing in Kannada. The singer, visibly upset, halted the performance and addressed the audience, stating that while he respects all languages, he was hurt by the coercive behavior. Referring to a past incident in Pahalgam, he remarked, “What happened there was due to similar behavior,” a statement that triggered criticism from Kannada groups.
Following public outrage, a complaint was filed by Dharmaraj, president of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike’s Bengaluru City Unit, leading to an FIR against the singer. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce subsequently imposed a ban on Nigam. Addressing the controversy, Nigam later released a statement on social media, saying, “I leave it to the wisdom of the people of Karnataka to judge who was at fault. I accept their verdict and extend my respect to the Karnataka police and judiciary.”