The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed criminal proceedings against singer Guru Randhawa over alleged objectionable lyrics in his song ‘Sirra’. The Court noted that the trial court issued notice without recording preliminary evidence and halted the case till July 16.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has recently stayed the criminal proceedings pending before a trial court against singer Gursharanjot Singh Randhawa, popularly known as Guru Randhawa, in a case related to the lyrics of his song “Sirra”. The case titled Guru Randhawa v. Rajdeep Singh Mann is related to allegations that certain lyrics in the song hurt religious sentiments and defamed the Jatt-Sikh community.
The order was passed by Justice Surya Partap Singh on March 20. The High Court noted that the trial court had issued notice to Randhawa without following the proper legal procedure. The Court examined the trial court’s order dated August 25, 2025 and found that notice was issued without recording preliminary evidence.
“The above-mentioned order (trail court’s order) makes it apparent that the notice to the petitioner/accused (Randhawa) has been issued without recording the preliminary evidence,”
said the Court.
After considering the submissions made by Randhawa’s lawyers, the High Court stayed the proceedings before the trial court until the next date of hearing on July 16.
The case is based on a complaint regarding the lyrics of the song which states,
“Jammeya nu gudti ch mildi afeem aa.”
The complainant alleged that this line suggests that sons of Jatts are given opium at birth, which portrays the Jatt-Sikh community as narcotic users from birth. The complaint also stated that the lyric distorts the concept of “Gurthi”, which is a ceremonial first nourishment given to a newborn in Sikh tradition.
According to the complaint filed before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate in Samrala, Ludhiana district, this portrayal lowered the image of the Jatt-Sikh community and Sikh religious practices and amounted to defamation and insult to religious feelings.
Based on the complaint, Randhawa was booked under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including insulting religious feelings (Section 299 BNS), wounding religious feelings (Section 302 BNS), promoting enmity between groups (Section 196 BNS), public mischief or false statements (Section 353 BNS), and criminal defamation (Section 356 BNS).
The Magistrate had issued notice to Randhawa and started proceedings in the case, after which Randhawa approached the High Court seeking quashing of the complaint and the Magistrate’s order.
In his petition before the High Court, Randhawa stated that he had already responded to a legal notice sent before the complaint was filed and had clearly denied any intention to hurt religious sentiments.
“The Petitioner categorically denied any intent to outrage religious feelings, explaining that he himself belongs to the Sikh faith and has utmost reverence for its traditions. At the same time, the Petitioner assured that the lyric in question would be revised/removed from all platforms within three to five business days,”
said the plea.
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The petition also emphasized that Randhawa himself is a devout Sikh and regularly participates in religious ceremonies.
“The petitioner is a devout follower of the Sikh religion and regularly participates in religious ceremonies. Given the Petitioner’s personal faith and religious convictions, it is inconceivable that he would deliberately act in a manner that insults or denigrates the very religion he practices and reveres,”
said the plea.
The petition further informed the Court that after receiving the notice, the singer and his music label contacted digital platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Instagram and requested removal or replacement of the audio and video containing the lyrics. The plea argued that an essential requirement under the law is deliberate or malicious intention to hurt religious feelings, which is not present in this case.
“Under no circumstances can it be said that there was any deliberate or malicious intention on the part of the Petitioner to insult or outrage the religious feelings of the Jatt-Sikh community. The Petitioner is himself a practicing Sikh and belongs to the Jatt-Sikh community. The objectionable lyric, even if taken literally, cannot be attributed to any malice or intent to insult or outrage the religious feelings of the Jatt-Sikh community,”
said the petition.
The plea also argued that the song lyrics should be seen as part of creative expression and not as a literal statement about any community. It stated that the song is a creative work and is protected under the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India.
Apart from challenging the allegations, Randhawa also raised an important legal issue regarding the procedure followed by the Magistrate. The petition argued that the procedure under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was not followed, which requires the Magistrate to examine the complainant and witnesses on oath before taking cognisance and issuing notice.
Advocates Tejeshwar Singh and Tarushi Monga appeared for Guru Randhawa in the High Court. The matter will now be heard on July 16, and until then, the criminal proceedings before the trial court will remain stayed. This case raises important questions about freedom of speech, creative expression, religious sentiments, and proper criminal procedure under the new criminal laws.
Case Title:
Guru Randhawa v. Rajdeep Singh Mann
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