Chhattisgarh HC Stays FIR Against BJP Leaders Over Cong ‘Toolkit’

“This, prima facie, establishes that the present FIR has been registered with political motives,” the order stated.

The Chhattisgarh High Court on Monday, 14 June, stayed the probe into the toolkit FIR filed against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Raman Singh and Sambit Patra, citing "malafides or political grudge”.

“Considering the facts of the case and perusal of FIR, prima face no case is made out against the petitioner, and criminal proceedings is manifestly attended against the petitioner with malafides or political grudge.”

Chhattisgarh High Court, according to Bar and Bench

A day after the Chhattisgarh president of National Student Union of India (NSUI) Akash Sharma filed a complaint over Patra and Singh’s tweets regarding a purported toolkit created by the Congress to ‘defame’ the country, an FIR was registered against the leaders on 19 May.

The former chief minister of Chhattisgarh and BJP spokesperson also alleged that the ‘toolkit’ document was designed by the Congress party to damage the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Subsequently, they were accused of spreading unrest and provoking people on false grounds.

Represented by Mahesh Jethmalani, Vivek Sharma, Gary Mukhopadhyay, Apoorv Kurup, Avdhesh Kumar Singh and Ravi Sharma, Patra and Singh said that an FIR was already lodged in Delhi, where the police had commenced investigation.

“The Delhi Police has initiated inquiry about sources of these documents, but the complaint has been subsequently withdrawn by the complainant. The Chhattisgarh Police without inquiring about the truth, has lodged the FIR,” the leaders’ senior counsel said.

A single bench of Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas found “no offence” under Sections 504 and 505.

The order said: “By the Twit (sic) of the petitioner, congressmen are aggravated which clearly indicates that no public peace or tranquility is being adversely affected and it is purely political rivalry between two political parties. This, prima facie, establishes that the present FIR has been registered with political motives,” Bar and Bench quoted.