RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh High Court issued a notice to Kolkata-based respondent Naziya Elahi Khan and directed the State government to verify and apprise the court of the specific steps taken pursuant to an FIR registered in Raipur over alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas and Justice Sudhir Kumar issued the directions while hearing a criminal writ petition filed by Raipur resident Mohammed Bilal, who alleged police inaction following the lodging of the case.
The court ordered the issuance of notice to respondent Naziya Elahi Khan and listed the matter for further hearing on December 7, 2026.
"In the meantime, the State is directed to verify the steps taken pursuant to the FIR dated 29.06.2026, registered at Police Station Civil Lines, Raipur Commissionerate, and apprise this Court accordingly," the Bench ordered.
The matter stems from an FIR registered under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Civil Lines Police Station in Raipur.
The petitioner, who serves as the National In-charge of the Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat Action Trust (TNRAT), lodged a written complaint on June 23, 2026, alleging that offensive and derogatory statements regarding Prophet Mohammed had been circulated on social media via an Instagram account, severely hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslim community.
According to the petition, filed through advocates Aamir Khan and Sitara Khan, the complainant submitted repeated representations to senior police authorities on July 8, July 13, and August 10, seeking effective investigation and the preservation of crucial electronic records.
However, the petitioner contended that investigators communicated neither tangible progress nor a satisfactory response, prompting him to invoke the High Court’s writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution.
“The petition also brought to the court’s notice that a separate FIR had previously been registered on June 22, 2026, at Shanti Nagar Police Station in Thane, Maharashtra, under Section 299 of the BNS and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act over related allegations”, said Aamir Khan, counsel for the petitioner.
Stressing that the plea did not demand automatic arrest or prejudge guilt, the petitioner sought explicit judicial directions for an impartial probe, timely preservation and examination of original electronic URLs, timestamps, and account details to prevent digital tampering, and the submission of a formal investigation status report by law enforcement authorities.
