The Karnataka High Court quashed an FIR against three men accused of distributing Islamic pamphlets near a temple, ruling that it did not amount to a criminal offence. Justice Venkatesh Naik T held that the complainant had no legal standing under Section 4 of the state’s anti-conversion law and that no elements of forced or fraudulent conversion under Section 3 were met. The court also found no evidence of incitement under BNS provisions. It reaffirmed Article 25 rights, stating that peacefully sharing religious views is protected, provided there is no unlawful conversion attempt.
