Court directs State government to verify investigation progress in Raipur FIR registered under Section 299 of BNS; matter listed for December 7, 2026.
The Chhattisgarh High Court has issued notice to Kolkata-based respondent Naziya Elahi Khan in a criminal writ petition concerning alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed circulated through social media. The High Court has also directed the State government to verify and inform it about the specific steps taken in connection with an FIR registered at Civil Lines Police Station, Raipur.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas and Justice Sudhir Kumar passed the directions while hearing a petition filed by Mohammed Bilal, a resident of Raipur, who alleged that the police had failed to take effective action despite the registration of an FIR.
The Bench directed that notice be issued to respondent Naziya Elahi Khan and listed the matter for further hearing on December 7, 2026.
Court Seeks Investigation Status
While issuing notice, the High Court directed the State government to verify the progress of the investigation and apprise the Court of the action taken pursuant to the FIR dated June 29, 2026, registered at Civil Lines Police Station, Raipur Commissionerate.
The Court observed in its order:
“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.”
Background of the Case
According to the petition, Mohammed Bilal, who serves as National In-charge of the Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat Action Trust (TNRAT), submitted a written complaint on June 23, 2026, alleging that offensive and derogatory statements concerning Prophet Mohammed had been circulated through an Instagram account.
The complainant alleged that the content had deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim community. Following the complaint, an FIR was registered on June 29, 2026, under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Civil Lines Police Station, Raipur.
The petitioner subsequently submitted representations to senior police authorities on July 8, July 13 and August 10, 2026, seeking an effective investigation and preservation of relevant electronic evidence.
However, alleging that the investigating authorities had neither communicated any substantial progress nor provided a satisfactory response, the petitioner approached the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.
Petition Seeks Preservation of Digital Evidence
The petition, filed through advocates Aamir Khan and Sitara Khan, sought directions for an impartial investigation, preservation and examination of original electronic evidence, including URLs, timestamps and account details, to prevent possible digital tampering.
The petitioner also requested the submission of a formal investigation status report before the Court. It was specifically clarified that the petition did not seek automatic arrest of the respondent or any premature determination of her guilt.
Counsel for the petitioner, Aamir Khan, also informed the Court that a separate FIR had earlier 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, 2000, concerning related allegations.
Legal Significance
Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting religion or religious beliefs. Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, concerns the publication or transmission of obscene material in electronic form.
The present proceedings concern the alleged failure to ensure an effective investigation and preservation of electronic evidence. By directing the State to verify the investigative steps, the High Court has sought an official account of the action taken by the police.
The issuance of notice and the direction for an investigation status update do not amount to a finding on the allegations or the guilt of the respondent.
The matter will be considered further on December 7, 2026.
