Peaceful Protest Against Conference On ‘Eradication of Sanatan Dharma’ Cannot Be Criminalised : Madras HC

Madurai: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has quashed an FIR registered against a law student and seven others belonging to a Student Association for blocking a road while protesting outside a conference held for the "eradication of Sanatana Dharma," holding that their demonstration was peaceful and that continuing the prosecution would amount to an abuse of the process of law.

The petitioner, M. Senthoorvelan, was named as the fifth accused in Crime No. 1046 of 2023 registered at Thallakulam Police Station, Madurai City, for offences under Sections 143, 341 and 290 of the Indian Penal Code, over an incident in which the group is alleged to have blocked a road and caused inconvenience to the public despite police warnings. He moved the High Court under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita seeking to quash the FIR.

Counsel for the petitioner submitted that the group, protesting the conduct of the conference, had demonstrated peacefully outside the venue and that no offence was made out; he also pointed out that no charge sheet had been filed even three years after the FIR was registered. The Government Advocate (Criminal Side) for the police conceded that although a charge sheet had been made ready, it had not yet been filed.

Justice R. Vijayakumar, after hearing the petitioner's counsel and perusing the record, found that the protest had been conducted in a peaceful and democratic manner outside the conference hall, with no allegation of damage to public property. Holding that “continuation of the criminal proceedings would only be an abuse of process of law,” the Court observed that the other named accused stood on the same footing as the petitioner.

Accordingly, the Court quashed the FIR in Crime No. 1046 of 2023 not only as against the petitioner but also as against all the other accused persons, and allowed the Criminal Original Petition.

Appearances: 

For the Petitioner: Mr. PR. Malan, Advocate. 

For the Respondents: Mr. G. Ganesh Kumar, Government Advocate (Criminal Side), for R1.

M. Senthoorvelan v. State of Tamil Nadu & Anr., Crl.OP.(MD) No. 16688 of 2026