Prayagraj – The Allahabad High Court has declined Bhojpuri singer Neha Singh Rathore’s plea seeking the cancellation of an FIR filed against her over comments on the Pahalgam attack. The bench directed her to appear before the investigation officer on September 26 and to fully cooperate in the inquiry.
The case stems from a video Rathore shared on social media earlier this year. In the video, she alleged intelligence and security lapses by the Bharatiya Janata Party government had led to the Pahalgam attack. She further accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of politicising such tragedies for electoral gains, drawing a parallel with the 2019 Pulwama attack.
Following her remarks, an FIR was registered in April at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow. Rathore was booked under sedition provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. She challenged the FIR, with her lawyer arguing that her statements were protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression.
The court, however, dismissed the plea, observing that constitutional freedoms are subject to reasonable restrictions necessary for maintaining public order. The bench stated that Rathore’s video used the Prime Minister’s name in a disrespectful manner and constituted an insult.
The ruling highlights the continuing tension between freedom of expression and limits imposed in the interest of law and order. With the High Court’s decision, the investigation into Rathore’s statements will now proceed under police supervision.
