Overview

• The High Court dismissed Farah Deeba’s petition as without merit and ruled that quashing an FIR before filing of a chargesheet is improper.
• Justices Gadkari and Patil found that her WhatsApp posts, which included a burning Indian flag clip and comments identifying with Pakistan, demonstrated clear mens rea.
• Deeba was booked under sections 152, 196, 197, 352 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for allegedly endangering national unity and provoking public mischief.
• Farah Deeba, a 46-year-old former school teacher, deleted the messages after apologizing but has already lost her job and faces an ongoing criminal investigation.
• Legal analysts say the verdict underscores the judiciary’s careful balancing of free expression and national security in post-Operation Sindoor digital speech cases.