New Delhi, March 5 -- The Supreme Court has held that using terms such as "Miyan-Tiyan" (a pejorative aimed at Muslims by some) or "Pakistani" may be in poor taste but does not constitute a criminal offence , and quashed a criminal case against an 80-year-old man accused of making such remarks.
"The appellant is accused of hurting the religious feelings of the informant by calling him "Miyan-Tiyan" and "Pakistani". Undoubtedly, the statements made are poor taste. However, it does not amount to hurting the religious sentiments of the informant," noted a bench comprising justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma.
The case originated from an FIR registered in Jharkhand, based on a complaint by Md Shamim Uddin , an Urdu translator and ...