Allahabad High Court rejected Bhojpuri singer Neha Singh Rathore’s plea to quash FIR over her social media posts on PM Modi and Bihar elections. Court noted her posts “used the Prime Minister’s name in a derogatory and disrespectful manner.”
Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has dismissed the petition filed by Bhojpuri singer and social activist Neha Singh Rathore, seeking to quash the First Information Report (FIR) registered against her over her social media posts related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bihar elections, and Hindu-Muslim politics [Neha Singh Rathore @ Neha Kumari v State of UP].
In its judgment dated September 19, a Division Bench comprising Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Syed Qamar Hasan Rizvi directed Rathore to appear before the investigating officer on September 26 and fully cooperate with the investigation until the filing of the police report.
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The Court observed that the allegations against Rathore
“prima facie disclose cognizable offence, justifying an investigation by police officers.”
It also highlighted the significance of the timing of her social media posts, noting that they were shared immediately after the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Court ordered,
“The petitioner is directed to participate in the investigation, which is pending pursuant to the impugned FIR, and she shall appear before the Investigating Officer on 26.09.2025 at 11.00 a.m. sharp to cooperate in the investigation and shall further cooperate in the investigation till filing of police report,”
Rathore was booked by the Hazratganj police in Lucknow in April under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for her posts on X, which suggested that following the Pahalgam terror attack, Prime Minister Modi had visited Bihar
“to threaten Pakistan so that he can garner votes in the name of nationalism.”
She had also claimed that instead of focusing on apprehending the terrorists and admitting mistakes, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was attempting “to plunge the country into war.”
In one of her posts, she wrote,
“In the Bihar elections, they can either get votes in the name of Hindu-Muslim or India-Pakistan, there is no third option and these people will choose those two options.”
Rathore’s counsel had argued that she enjoyed a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India to express her opinions freely on social media, and no State authority could infringe upon this right.
However, the Court pointed out that the Prime Minister’s name had been “used in a derogatory and disrespectful manner” in her posts. It further observed that Rathore accused the BJP of trying to initiate a war with Pakistan for its own political interests.
“The case diary as placed before us shows that there are so many tweets but some of them have been reproduced in this order that goes to show that the posts written by the petitioner are against the Prime Minister of India and Home Minister of India. Name of the Prime Minister of India has been used in a derogatory and disrespectful manner. In such comments, the petitioner has used religious angle, Bihar election angle accusing the Prime Minister by name and saying that the B.J.P. Government is sacrificing the life of thousands of soldiers for its vested interest pushing the country in a war with a neighbouring country.”
Considering these observations, the Court dismissed Rathore’s plea seeking quashing of the FIR.
Advocate Kamal Kishore Sharma appeared for the petitioner, while Government Advocate VK Singh represented the State along with advocates SN Tilhari and Vipul Kumar Singh.
Case Title:
Neha Singh Rathore @ Neha Kumari v State of UP
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