Karnataka Govt Introduces Hate Speech & Hate Crimes Prevention Bill, Proposes Non-Bailable Offence With Upto 10-Yr Jail Term
The Karnataka Government on Wednesday, introduced the “ Karnataka Hate Speech And Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025" in the State Assembly.
The bill aims to curb and prevent the dissemination, publication or promotion of hate speech and crimes, which cause disharmony, hatred in society, against individuals or groups of persons, or organisations. It provides for punishment to offenders and adequate compensation to injured victims.
The Bill defines Hate Speech as "any expression which is made, published, or circulated, in words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or through electronic communication or otherwise, in public view, with an intention to cause injury, disharmony or feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will against person alive or dead, class or group of persons or community, to meet any prejudicial interest."
It defines Hate Crime to mean communication of hate speech, by making, publishing or circulating or any act of promoting, propagating, inciting or abetting or attempting, such hate speech, to cause disharmony or feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will against any person dead or alive or group of persons or organisation. Communication means and includes communication of expression, made in public view, by way of verbal, print, publication, electronic means, or other means to convey such expression.
The Bill provides for punishment to whoever commits hate crime with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year, which may extend to seven years with a fine of Rs.50,000. For any subsequent or repetitive offences, the punishment shall not be less than two years, which may extend to ten years with fine of Rs.1,00,000, it says.
The Bill also states that courts may award adequate compensation to the victim by calculating the injury caused due to hate crime, depending upon the gravity of the impact of the crime. The offences under this act shall be cognizable, non bailable and triable by the Judicial Magistrate First Class.
However, the said provisions shall not extend to any book, pamphlet, paper, writing, drawing, painting representation or figure in electronic form or otherwise the publication of which is proved to be justified as being for the public good. On the ground that such a book, pamphlet, paper, writing drawing, painting representation or figure is in the interest of science, literature, art or learning or other objects of general concern; or which is kept or used for bona fide heritage or religious purposes.
The Bill also provides that the Executive Magistrate or Special Executive Magistrate or any police officer not below the rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police, can take necessary preventive action for keeping the peace and good behaviour and maintenance of public order and tranquillity.
Further, in cases, if the person, committing an offence under this Act, is an Organisation or Institution, every person who, at the time of the offence committed, was in charge of, and was responsible to, such organisation or institution for the conduct of the business of the same, as well as such Organisation or Institution, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence.
It provides for appointment of a designated officer, as notified by the State Government, who shall have the power to direct any service provider, intermediaries, person or entity to block or remove the hate crime materials from its domain including electronic media.