MP HC Rejects Plea of Man Booked For 'Objectionable' Instagram Post on Lord Ram, CM Yogi, Hinduism

Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a man's petition seeking to quash an FIR against him for allegedly uploading an objectionable post on his Instagram account against Lord Ram, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Hinduism.

Mohammad Bilal filed a petition to quash an FIR dated August 17, 2023 registered against him under sections 294, 153A, 295A of Indian Penal Code and sections 3(1) and 3(2) of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act at a police station in Satna.

In his plea, Bilal claimed some persons hacked his Instagram account two days earlier and uploaded the offensive post.

"From the FIR it is clear that the complainant had inquired from the petitioner as to why an offensive post has been uploaded on his Instagram account. Then instead of explaining that the said post was uploaded by somebody else by hacking his account, he (petitioner) started abusing and humiliating the complainant and also hurt his religious feelings," a single bench of the High Court comprising Justice GS Ahluwalia said.

"This conduct of the petitioner indicates that the defence of uploading the offensive post on his Instagram account by somebody else is incorrect. Since uploading of an offensive post on his Instagram account has been admitted by the petitioner himself, therefore, he had no right to react in a manner in which it was done with the complainant," the HC order of last month said.

Whether allegations made in the FIR are correct or not cannot be considered at this stage, the judge said.

"Considering the fact that the FIR in question discloses the commission of cognizable offence, no case is made out warranting interference", the order stated.