The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim protection from arrest to folk singer Neha Singh Rathore in connection with a case filed over her social media post on the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
A bench comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar directed that no coercive action be taken against Rathore while issuing notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and the complainant. The court, however, asked the singer to appear before the Investigating Officer and cooperate fully with the probe.
The case relates to a post allegedly made by Rathore following the killing of 26 tourists in Pahalgam, which, according to the FIR, targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the BJP. The complaint accuses her of making remarks that could incite communal disharmony and threaten national unity.
Earlier, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had rejected Rathore’s anticipatory bail plea on December 5 last year. The High Court observed that she had failed to cooperate with the investigation despite earlier directions, after dismissing her plea seeking quashing of the FIR.
The FIR was registered on April 27 at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow based on a complaint by Abhay Pratap Singh. It alleges that Rathore repeatedly attempted to provoke one community against another on religious grounds. The charges invoked include several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), such as promoting communal hatred, disturbing public peace, and endangering the sovereignty and integrity of India. She also faces charges under the Information Technology Act.
In her plea before the Supreme Court, Rathore maintained that she had been wrongly implicated and that her comments were being misinterpreted. With the interim relief, the top court has ensured protection from arrest while allowing the investigation to continue.
