Jantar Mantar Protest: Noida Police Register Zero FIR Against Woman For Alleged Abusive Remarks Against PM Modi

Noida Police have registered a Zero FIR against a woman accused of using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest over the NEET paper leak. The case will now be transferred to the Delhi Police, as the alleged incident took place within the national capital's jurisdiction.

The FIR was lodged at the Expressway police station in Noida on the complaint of a Ghaziabad resident, namely advocate Smriti Singh, who alleged that accused Ruchika Singh, a resident of Sector 168 in Noida, made "abusive and objectionable" remarks against the Prime Minister during the protest held on July 23. According to the complaint, the remarks lowered the dignity of a constitutional office, were intended to spread hatred, and had the potential to disturb public peace.

Based on the complaint, police registered the case under Sections 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), 353(1) (statements conducing to public mischief), and 356(1) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) [corresponding to Sections Section 504, 505(1) and 499/500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), respectively].

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Noida) Manisha Singh confirmed that the complaint had been registered as a Zero FIR.

"A resident of Ghaziabad lodged an FIR against a resident of Sector 168, Noida, alleging that she used abusive language against the Prime Minister of India at Jantar Mantar. It is a Zero FIR and will be transferred to New Delhi for further investigation," the officer said, as per media reports.

A Zero FIR allows any police station to register a cognisable offence regardless of where it occurred. The case is subsequently transferred to the police station having territorial jurisdiction, ensuring that registration of the complaint is not delayed due to jurisdictional issues.

The alleged remarks were made during protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar over the alleged irregularities in competitive examinations. The demonstrations, which concluded on July 25, saw participation from thousands of students and activists and culminated in the Centre announcing a series of measures on education reforms.

The latest FIR comes amid multiple police actions linked to the protest. Earlier, Delhi Police had written to social media platform X seeking removal of videos and posts containing alleged derogatory remarks against the Prime Minister and other constitutional authorities made during the demonstrations.