Court Orders FIR Over Conspiracy Claims to Incite Riots, Genocide Against SP Members

An FIR has been filed against two individuals, Dilip Kumar Singh and Arun Yadav, for allegedly spreading fake, morphed, and misleading images of Samajwadi Party's National President, Akhilesh Yadav, on the social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter). The case, registered at Gomti Nagar police station, comes after a direction from the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate in Lucknow.

The complaint was lodged by Krishan Kanhaiya Pal, the National President of the Samajwadi Adhivakta Sabha. According to the FIR, the alleged offense took place on May 20, 2025. The complaint details how the accused used their X handles, to circulate a manipulated photograph of Akhilesh Yadav with a woman named Jyoti Malhotra, who was recently arrested in connection with officials from an "enemy country".

The FIR has been registered under Sections 147 (rioting), 196 (promoting enmity), 197 (outraging religious feelings), 353 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of duty), and 505 (spreading enmity through rumours and false statements) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 67 of the IT Act and Section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1932

It alleges that the accused's actions were a "systematic conspiracy" to tarnish Akhilesh Yadav's image and create communal disharmony. It also claims that the fabricated content was intended to promote hatred against backward, Dalit, and minority communities.

"The accused persons Dilip Kumar Sings and Arun Yadav are consistently trying to create an atmosphere for promoting feeling of enmity, hatred and ill-will between different religious and castes, which can disturb the public tranquility and rather it can create an atmosphere of riots or genocide against the members of the Samajwadi Party. Yadav caste and those of the Muslim minority community. The accused persons have been promoting enmity and creating an atmosphere of Civil war in India. The accused persons are threat to the public at large and provoking the upper caste for initiating a drive against Backward and Muslims of India," the FIR states.

The press release issued by the Samajwadi Adhivakta Sabha states that Krishan Kanhaiya Pal had initially attempted to file a complaint at the Gomti Nagar Police Station and with the Commissioner of Police, Lucknow, but no action was taken. The legal body was then forced to approach the court, which, after finding the allegations to be "prima facie correct," ordered the police to register the FIR and begin an investigation.

The investigation has been assigned to Inspector Vinod Kumar Singh.

The press release concludes by emphasizing that the issue is not merely about protecting the image of Akhilesh Yadav but is a question of safeguarding the "dignity of the constitution, democracy, and marginalized communities." The Samajwadi Adhivakta Sabha states that those who attempt to break social harmony will not be spared.