New Delhi, September 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A Delhi court has directed the Cyber Police Station to register an FIR against journalist Karishma Aziz over a series of allegedly derogatory social media posts concerning Hindu religious beliefs, religious figures and historical personalities, with the complainant also alleging that some content could promote communal disharmony.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Mridul Gupta of Patiala House Courts passed the order while allowing an application filed by advocate Amita Sachdeva under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), seeking registration of an FIR and investigation.
According to the complaint, several posts uploaded from an account on X between February and April 2025 contained remarks allegedly insulting Hindu religious beliefs and figures, including a Hindu saint, Lord Ram, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and freedom fighter Veer Savarkar.
The complainant also alleged that some posts contained derogatory references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and promoted what she described as “anti-India” sentiments.
The court noted that the complainant had placed screenshots, transcripts and links relating to various posts and videos on record. It observed that the allegations were not limited to an isolated statement but concerned a series of posts published over a period of time.
The South Saket Cyber Police Station had earlier submitted a status report stating that the posts contained obscenity and material directly targeting Hinduism, while also describing some of the content as political or historical commentary, criticism and satire.
The police further stated that its preliminary inquiry had not found evidence of a deliberate attempt to incite communal disharmony.
The court, however, said that at the present stage it was not required to conclusively determine the truth of the allegations or the culpability of the accused.
It observed that whether the posts ultimately amounted to protected political commentary, satire, criticism or historical opinion, or crossed the threshold of criminality under the provisions invoked by the complainant, was a matter requiring investigation.
The court also referred to the Supreme Court’s judgment in Amish Devgan vs Union of India, noting that freedom of speech is constitutionally protected, while expressions intended to promote disharmony or made with deliberate and malicious intent to outrage religious feelings may attract penal consequences depending on the circumstances.
The court said an investigation was necessary to collect and preserve electronic evidence, including material concerning the authorship and operation of the social media account, the uploaded posts and videos, their dissemination and other electronic records.
It also clarified that it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the allegations at this stage.
Finding that the complaint disclosed cognisable offences requiring investigation, the court directed the Cyber Police Station in New Delhi to register an FIR and conduct the investigation in accordance with law.
The police station has been directed to file a compliance report before the court within one week.
The complainant has sought registration of an FIR under Sections 196, 299 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
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