Supreme Court Provides Interim Protection to Bhojpuri Singer Neha Singh Rathore Amid Controversy

Supreme Court Ruling on Neha Singh Rathore

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court granted Bhojpuri singer Neha Singh Rathore temporary protection from arrest concerning her social media remarks about the terrorist incident in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which occurred in April.

A panel comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar also issued a notice regarding Rathore's appeal against the Allahabad High Court's decision that denied her anticipatory bail.

However, the court mandated that Rathore must comply with summons from the investigating officer.

The tragic attack in Baisaran, near Pahalgam, on April 22 resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals and injuries to 17 others. Reports indicate that the attackers identified their victims by asking for their names to determine their religion, with the majority of the deceased being Hindu.

In late April, Rathore faced legal action for a video in which she criticized the Pahalgam attack as a failure of intelligence and security by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led government.

She further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would exploit the incident for electoral gain in Bihar, similar to claims made after the 2019 Pulwama attack.

An FIR was lodged against Rathore following a complaint in Lucknow, accusing her of sedition under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.

During the recent court session, the government asserted that Rathore had not been cooperative with the investigation, a claim her lawyer disputed, stating that she had met with the investigating officer on Saturday.

In September, the Allahabad High Court declined to dismiss the case, noting that the allegations suggested a cognizable offense that required further investigation. The court remarked that Rathore had used derogatory language regarding Modi in her posts.

Rathore subsequently appealed this ruling to the Supreme Court, which also refused to dismiss the case in October.

Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Rathore, argued that the charges, including those related to mutiny and waging war against the state, were excessively severe.

Nonetheless, the court indicated it would not intervene at this juncture.