India
A woman based in Faridabad has been booked for allegedly using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 23. The action came after a complaint was filed by a Ghaziabad resident, prompting Noida Police to register a Zero FIR before transferring the matter to Delhi Police for further investigation.
According to police officials, the woman was seen in videos that later circulated widely on social media platforms. The complainant alleged that the remarks made in the videos were objectionable and directed at the Prime Minister as well as his family members. Authorities said the complaint claimed the statements were capable of hurting the dignity of a constitutional office and disturbing public peace.
The case was initiated after Smriti Singh, a resident of Vasundhara in Ghaziabad and a practicing lawyer, approached the Expressway Police Station in Noida on Wednesday evening. In her complaint, she stated that she became aware of the videos through social media and decided to seek legal action after verifying the identity of the woman through publicly available information and online contacts.
Speaking about the complaint, Singh said multiple videos featuring the woman had gained traction online and contained abusive remarks aimed at Prime Minister Modi. She argued that such language was unacceptable in public discourse and called for strict action to discourage similar conduct on social media and public platforms.
Police officials said the complainant initially approached Noida Police because she believed the accused woman lived in the city. During preliminary verification, investigators found that while the woman owned a flat in a residential society in Sector 168, Noida, she was currently residing in Uncha village in Faridabad, Haryana. Officials added that the Noida apartment was found to be unoccupied.
Since the alleged incident occurred at Jantar Mantar, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi, Noida Police registered a Zero FIR and subsequently transferred the case to Delhi Police. A Zero FIR allows a complaint to be filed at any police station regardless of where the incident took place, ensuring that legal proceedings can begin without delay.
Manisha Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Noida, confirmed that the FIR was registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to intentional insult, statements conducive to public mischief, and defamation. She said the case diary and relevant documents had been forwarded to the Parliament Street Police Station for further investigation.
The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of political speech on social media and public platforms, particularly when statements target elected leaders and constitutional offices. Delhi Police will now examine the evidence, including the viral videos and related digital material, before deciding the next course of action.
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