The Supreme Court has granted folk singer Neha Singh Rathore interim protection from arrest in connection with an FIR filed in Uttar Pradesh. This FIR was related to her alleged objectionable social media posts about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Pahalgam terror attack. The Court issued notice on Rathore’s special leave petition challenging the Allahabad High Court’s denial of her anticipatory bail.
The Bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar directed that no coercive steps be taken against Rathore for the time being. However, the Court emphasized that Rathore must cooperate with the investigation and appear before the Investigating Officer when summoned, starting from January 19. Failure to comply with this directive was cautioned to be taken seriously.
During the hearing, the Uttar Pradesh Police accused Rathore of non-cooperation, while her counsel argued that she had already appeared before the Investigating Officer the previous week. The Supreme Court’s decision came after Rathore’s SLP challenged the Allahabad High Court’s rejection of her anticipatory bail plea in a case registered at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow.
