The Madhya Pradesh High Court has restrained the burning of an effigy of Sonam Raghuwanshi during the Dussehra celebrations in Indore. The effigy burning was planned by a men’s rights group named Paurush, which had announced an “11-headed Surpanakha Dahan.” The effigy was designed with multiple female faces, including those of women accused in various criminal cases, with Raghuwanshi’s face at the center. The organizers claimed the act was symbolic, representing the destruction of evil, and argued that wrongdoers are not confined to men but include women as well.
The planned event quickly sparked controversy, leading to petitions being filed before the High Court. The petitioners argued that publicly burning an effigy with the image of a living woman accused in a criminal case was defamatory, violated her dignity, and could provoke public disorder. They stressed that such symbolic acts amounted to targeting individuals before their guilt was legally established, thereby undermining both the rule of law and personal rights.
After hearing the matter, the High Court issued an interim order restraining the organizers from proceeding with the effigy burning. The Bench observed that such an act, even if claimed to be symbolic, carried serious implications for the dignity and reputation of an individual. It further noted that allowing such events could create social disharmony and set an unhealthy precedent of publicly vilifying individuals without judicial determination of guilt.
With this order, the Court has balanced the right to free expression against the right to dignity and reputation, prioritizing the latter in this case. The matter will continue for further hearing, where the Court will decide on the larger issues raised.
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