Owner of Bakery Which Advertised ‘No Muslim Staff’ Arrested in Chennai

The advertisement put out by Jain Bakeries and Confectioneries read: “Made by Jains on orders, No Muslim staffs.”

New Delhi: The Chennai police on Friday arrested Prashanth, the owner of a bakery, for outraging religious feelings and intentionally insulting a community. Prashanth is the owner of Jain Bakeries and Confectioneries in Chennai and had advertised that his bakery does not have any Muslim staff members as a unique selling point.

The poster had gone viral on social media a few days ago, and many had called for action against the owner of the bakery. The advertisement said “made by Jains on orders, no Muslim staffs.”

The owner has now been booked under Sections 504 (intentionally insulting, and thereby provoking any person, intending or knowing it to be likely that such provocation will cause him to break the public peace) and 295(a) (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion) of the Indian Penal Code, reported The News Minute.

The advertisement, which was circulating on social media, got the attention of the Chennai police. “He operates a home bakery and the advertisement was circulated on WhatsApp group for people from the Jain community in Chennai. He would receive orders on the app and would bake the items at home and then deliver. When the advertisement came to my knowledge and I took suo motu action,” Mambalam station Inspector S. Balamurali told The News Minute.

A few weeks ago, a hospital in Meerut had advertised in a newspaper that if Muslim patients are visiting the hospital for treatment, they should get themselves tested for COVID-19 and come to the hospital only if they test is negative. An FIR was registered against the owner under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 295 (insult to religion) and 505-3 (statements to incite a community).