A Delhi court has directed the police to file a First Information Report (FIR) against journalist Rana Ayyub following allegations that her posts on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, spread “anti-India sentiment” and insulted Hindu deities. The complaint was initiated by advocate Amita Sachdeva, who claims that some of Ayyub’s posts, dating back to between 2013 and 2022, contained offensive content against Hindu figures, such as Lord Ram, and portrayed freedom fighter Veer Savarkar as a “terrorist sympathizer” (source).
Sachdeva initially lodged her complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal in November the previous year. When no action was taken by the Delhi Police, she proceeded to file a petition at the Saket Court under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). This section allows magistrates to order police investigations when the initial complaint fails to yield action (document).
Chief Judicial Magistrate Himanshu Raman Singh stated that the allegations in the complaint revealed cognizable offenses necessitating police intervention. As a result, the court ordered the conversion of the complaint into an FIR and mandated a fair investigation by the Cyber police station (South) (details).
The FIR includes sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that address promoting enmity on religious grounds (section 153A), deliberately intending to outrage religious feelings (section 295A), and causing statements conducive to public mischief (section 505). The depth of the allegations has prompted the court to pursue the matter further to ensure a comprehensive inquiry (context).
In response to the development, Ayyub stated to Indian Express that she would provide the requested information if contacted by the police, adding her belief that her tweets do not contravene any legal provisions. The case now awaits a compliance report in the upcoming days (more).