Court orders further investigation into case involving RJD spokesperson Priyanka Bharti and Manusmriti incident.
A court in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, has dismissed a police closure report regarding a case against Rashtriya Janata Dal Spokesperson Priyanka Bharti. This case stems from an incident that occurred during a live television show in December, where Bharti allegedly tore pages of the Manusmriti, a scripture authored by the ancient ascetic Manu, which has faced significant criticism over its gender and caste-based codes.
The incident took place during a debate organized by news channels India TV and TV9 Bharatvarsh. The order to reject the police report was issued on September 6 by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Rashi Tomar, following a protest petition filed by Bharat Tiwari, the organisation secretary of the Rashtriya Savarn Parishad. Tiwari claimed that Bharti’s actions were premeditated and intended to insult the Manusmriti, thus hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community.
Tiwari’s complaint alleged that Bharti had disseminated false information about the scripture with the intent of inciting unrest. Following the complaint, the Aligarh Police registered a first information report (FIR) against Bharti under a section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita that addresses deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings.
However, the investigating officer later submitted a closure report, arguing that the incident occurred outside Aligarh’s jurisdiction, specifically in Delhi. As a result, the officer contended that no crime had been committed within Aligarh. Tiwari responded to this closure report by asserting that it was filed without a thorough investigation and claimed that the officer had not exercised proper legal reasoning. He further alleged that the officer acted under Bharti’s influence.
In light of these concerns, the Aligarh court has mandated the station house officer of the Rorawar police station to conduct a more comprehensive investigation and submit a fresh report on the matter. This ruling comes in the wake of a previous decision from the Allahabad High Court in February, which refused to quash the FIR against Bharti. The court had noted that Bharti’s actions during the live television debate, which involved tearing a “holy book of a particular religion,” suggested a prima facie indication of malicious intent.
Bharti, who is also pursuing a PhD at Jawaharlal Nehru University, had argued in her petition that there was no intention to insult religious sentiments. Nevertheless, the court’s observations reflect a serious view of the implications of her actions during the broadcast.
