Court issues notice to TMC MP Mahua Moitra on a revision against refusal of FIR

The magistrate court had refused to order an FIR against Moitra in connection with a tweet on the arrest of individuals who were arrested for observing iftar on a boat on the river Ganga in Varanasi. The revision has been filed by a law student, Ram Pravesh Dubey.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sonu Agnihotri issued notice to TMC MP Mahua Moitra on a revision filed by Ram Pravesh Dubey. He has challenged the order passed by the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) on March 30.

"Issue notice of revision petition to respondent for 16.05.2026," ASJ Agnihotri ordered on April 15.

The present complaint has been filed by the complainant seeking registration of FIR under sections 196(1) (Promoting enmity between different groups), 197(1)(c)(Activities prejudicial to national integration), 299 (malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings), 353(1)(b) (spreading rumours) of BNS against the alleged.

However, the JMFC not only declined to order an FIR but also refused to proceed with the complaint filed by Dubey. The court had said that no ground is made out after considering the Complaint and submissions.

"This Court is of the view that no ground is made out for registration of FIR in the present case. Further, no sufficient grounds are made out for proceeding with the present complaint. Accordingly, the present complaint stands dismissed," JMFC ordered on March 30.

The complainant had stated that he is a final year law student at NFSU, Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat, and he is currently pursuing an internship and residing in a paying guest accommodation in New Delhi.

It was stated that the complainant is a Hindu by faith and holds abiding reverence for the river Ganga and regards it as a sacred river.

It was further stated that TMC MP Moitra, on March 19, 2026, published a statement on the X platform from her account.

The complainant had stated that the said statement had hurt the religious sentiments of the complainant. The said statement of Moitra is a deliberate act designed to incite communal disharmony between Hindus and Muslims by trivialising core Hindu religious practices, thereby provoking outrage among Hindus and fostering resentment against Muslims.

While rejecting the complaint, the JMFC had said that, "On perusal of the complaint, it is evident that no complaint to the police has been annexed with the present complaint. Further, there is no mention of the complainant in the said statement of the alleged on the platform X," the court had noted.

"Therefore, on perusal of the record, this Court is of the view that no offence has been committed against the complainant," the JMFC held on March 30.

The Magistrate court had said that there is no material on record to show that the said statement of the alleged has caused enmity or disharmony among any group.

Further, there is no material on record to show any intention to insult the religious beliefs of any class of citizens. "Further, there is no material on record to show any intention to incite any class to commit an offence against any other class or community," the court had added.

"Therefore, this Court is of the view that no offence under sections 196(1), 197(1)(c), 299, 353(1)(b) of BNS is made out in the present case," the court ordered on March 30. (ANI)