Overview

• The division bench of Justices Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Syed Qamar Hasan Rizvi held that the FIR’s allegations disclose a cognizable offence warranting a police probe.
• The court directed the singer to cooperate with investigators and to appear before the Investigating Officer on September 26.
• The case stems from an April FIR by Lucknow’s Hazratganj police under BNS provisions, including promoting sectarian animosity and endangering sovereignty and unity.
• The order notes case-diary material citing posts that used the Prime Minister’s name in a derogatory manner, targeted the Home Minister, invoked a religious and Bihar election angle, and were reported as widely circulated in Pakistan.
• Rathore’s counsel argued her posts are protected political expression under Article 19(1)(a), while the State stressed the sensitive timing immediately after the Pahalgam terror attack; the court did not rule on merits and left the investigation to proceed.