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PETITIONER: KARTAR SINGH & OTHERS
Vs.
RESPONDENT: THE STATE OF PUNJAB.
DATE OF JUDGMENT: 26/04/1956
BENCH: BHAGWATI, NATWARLAL H. BENCH: BHAGWATI, NATWARLAL H. AIYAR, N. CHANDRASEKHARA
CITATION: 1956 AIR 541 1956 SCR 476
ACT: Punjab Security of the State Act, 1953 (Punjab Act XII of 1953), s. 9-Members of procession shouting defamatory slogans against Ministers of State Government-Prosecution under s. 9 Whether Justified.
HEADNOTE: The appellants were members of a procession taken out to protest against the policy of the Punjab Government to nationalise motor transport and raised the slogans "Jaggu mama hai hai (Jaggu, maternal uncle be dead)" and "Khachar Khota hai hai (mule-cumdonkey be dead)". The words were directed against the Transport Minister and the Chief Minister respectively and were defamatory. The appellants were prosecuted and convicted under s. 9 of the Punjab Security of the State Act, 1953. Held that the statements could not be said to undermine the security of the State or friendly relations with foreign States nor did they amount to contempt of Court or defamation prejudicial to the security of the State nor did they tend to overthrow the State and that the prosecution had f...