The Pune Police on Tuesday, 28 December, booked six men, including 'godman' Kalicharan Maharaj and Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote in a suo-moto case against communally-charged hate speeches during an event in Pune on 19 December.
(Photo: Altered by The Quint)
The Pune Police on Tuesday, 28 December, booked six men, including 'godman' Kalicharan Maharaj and Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote in a suo-moto case against communally-charged hate speeches during an event in the city on 19 December.
The speeches, reportedly made with a targeted attempt to malign Muslim and Christian communities, were cited in the FIR filed under Sections 295 (A) (deliberate and malicious intention of outraging religious feelings), 298 (deliberate intention of wounding religious feelings) and 505 (2) (false statement, rumour made in place of worship with intent to create enmity) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), news agency PTI reported.
Kumar, previously accoladed for being a Kargil War hero, was reportedly present at the questionable 'Shiv Pratap Din’ event, held to lionise Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and to celebrate the death of Mughal commander Afzal Khan.
Here is what we know about the 'war hero'.
Digendra Kumar, till now, was publicly known for helping secure a victory in the crucial Battle of Tololing – an instrumental assault on the Pakistan military amidst the Kargil War of 1999.
For his courage during the battle, he was honoured with the Maha Vir Chakra, the second highest wartime gallantry award, on 15 August 1999.
His Mahavir Chakra citation had read:
The statement hailed his 'conspicuous gallantry, courage and grit' in the face of the enemy.
Kumar had previously been in the news for speaking up against the Indian Army and the government of Rajasthan, his home state, for allegedly denying him his share of disability and service pension.
Kumar had sustained five bullet wounds during the Battle of Tololing and was denied the disability pension from 2005 to 2010, which ultimately forced him to move the Armed Forces Tribunal.
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