SC dismisses singer Neha Rathore's plea to quash FIR against over her social media posts

Go and face trial, the Supreme Court told singer and activist Neha Singh Rathore on Monday while refusing to entertain her plea challenging an FIR against her over a social media post on the Pahalgam terror attack. The apex court also clarified that it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case.

A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Kuldeep Bishnoi said that at this stage it is not interfering in the issue of the "charge of mutiny" (endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India).

The top court also granted her liberty to raise the issues at the time of framing of charges.

"It is merely a rejection of quashing. Go and face trial," the bench said.

The singer had moved the apex court challenging a September 19 order of the Allahabad High Court which refused to quash the FIR.

The FIR accused Rathore of targeting a particular religious community and threatening the unity of the country. She challenged the FIR filed against her by a Abhay Pratap Singh at the Hazratganj Police Station in the last week of April. Singh accused Rathore of having "repeatedly attempted to incite one community against another on religious grounds".

Rathore contended in her plea that she had been wrongfully implicated under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including promoting communal hatred, disturbing public peace, and endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.

She also faces charges under the Information Technology Act.