Bengaluru police file zero FIR over ‘purification’ ritual Uttarakhand’s Haldwani

Bengaluru police have registered a zero FIR in connection with a 'purification' ritual held at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. The incident took place on August 11 following a political rally by Indian National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on August 8. Kharge and the Congress party demanded an FIR, but none was initially filed.

T. Ramappa, a former Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee SC/ST wing member, later lodged a complaint in Bengaluru, alleging the ritual insulted the community. Police have sought legal advice and received a report allowing them to proceed with the zero FIR, which will be transferred to Haldwani police for further action. The FIR has been registered under multiple relevant sections of the Indian laws related to promoting enmity between different groups.