HC quashes FIR, summons against Raj Thackeray

The Delhi High Court on Thursday quashed an FIR and summons issued against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for alleged hate speeches against people of Bihar.

Justice Suresh Kait, holding that there was no sanction from the government to prosecute Thackeray, quashed the FIR and summons issued by a trial court.

Thackeray had moved the high court against the summons issued on October 7 last year, saying no prior sanction for prosecution from the central or state government was taken before the magistrate took cognizance of the offence of promoting enmity between different groups against him.

The complainant has said Thackeray's comments were "against national integration as the Indian Constitution has given all citizens the right to live anywhere in the country".

Various other complaints had also been filed in the courts of Bihar and Jharkhand against his hate speeches he made on different occasions. The Supreme Court had transferred all the cases against Thackeray for hate speeches to a Delhi court.