A court in Delhi’s Saket has ordered the registration of an FIR against journalist Rana Ayyub for “insulting Hindu deities” and spreading “anti-India sentiment” through posts on X. 

Ayyub allegedly posted these tweets several years ago but the court was acting on a complaint filed last year. It’s unclear what specific tweets are being referred to. 

Indian Express said the posts were allegedly made between 2014 and 2022. A lawyer named Amita Sachdeva had filed a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal in November last year demanding “criminal action” against Ayyub. 

Sachdeva claimed Ayyub had “demeaned” Ram, “glorified” Ravana, and insulted Savarkar, among other accusations. When the Delhi police did not file a complaint, she moved an application for an FIR under section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. 

Live Law reported that Chief Judicial Magistrate Himanshu Raman Singh said that “‘prima facie’ cognisable offences were made out against Ayyub” under sections 153A (promoting enmity), 295A (outraging religious feelings), and 505 (statements conducting public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code. Noting that an FIR “is warranted”, Singh, in an order dated January 25, directed the station house officer of Cyber police station (south) to “convert the contents of complaint as FIR and investigate the matter fairly”.

The court scheduled the matter for today to receive a compliance report. 

Notably, lawyer Sachdeva is also the complainant who found two of MF Husein’s paintings to be “offensive”, following which a Delhi court ordered their seizure.

Newslaundry has previously reported on police and investigative action against Ayyub, who often receives hate and threats on social media. Watch this interview with her from 2016 where she talks about her struggle in getting her book, Gujarat Files, published.

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