Case filed against Tendulkar in Indore court

INDORE: A case was filed against cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday at a court here for allegedly dishonouring the national flag.

The case was filed by Bhartiya Janshakti (BJS) leader Rajesh Bidkar under the Prevention of Insult to the National Honour Act of 1971 in the court of Judicial Magistrate Uday Singh Marahwi.

The court, after taking cognizance of the complaint, fixed April 13 for recording statements in the case, Bidkar's advocate Rajendra Sharma told reporters.

In footage beamed on TV news channels and photographs carried in newspapers, Tendulkar was reportedly shown cutting a cake with the national tricolor. The copy of the reports and news footage were submitted by Bidkar in support of his complaint.

A legal notice was sent to Tendulkar on Tuesday demanding an unconditional apology for dishonouring the flag.

A complaint has been also been filed with Delhi Police against Tendulkar.

Subodh Jain, a social activist based in East Delhi, filed the complaint with Manasarovar police station in North East Delhi on Tuesday, but no case has been registered in this regard so far.

The Delhi Police is seeking legal advice whether they can proceed on a complaint filed by a social activist here for an "offence" allegedly committed outside the country.

"We will seek legal advice from the public prosecutor. The case pertains to an Indian act. We have to see whether we have the jurisdiction to act on this complaint," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-East) Jaspal Singh said.

The controversy erupted after a TV channel showed a photograph of Tendulkar with a knife about to cut the cake in the presence of Indian High Commissioner to Jamaica K L Agrawal at a function there.

Jain has also named Team India and officials of the Indian High Commission in Jamaica where Sachin allegedly cut a cake in the colours of the national flag.

"I am disturbed that a person of Tendulkar's stature dishonouring the tricolour. He should be a role model and by cutting a cake with tri-colour he disgraced both the nation and the national flag," Jain said.

BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla on Tuesday said that Tendulkar told him that the function was organised by the India High Commission and "with so many people around he did not realise the colour of the cake when he was suddenly asked to cut it."