FB Post Targeting PM Modi, Army: MP High Court Dismisses Congress Leader’s Plea to Quash FIR
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has refused to quash a police case filed against Congress party member Yadvendra Pandey for allegedly posting a controversial post on Facebook targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Armed Forces.
Court said that there was enough material collected by the police so far and that the investigation is still ongoing. It dismissed Pandey’s plea to quash the FIR, noting that it was too early to say whether the accusations in the complaint were true or whether a crime had actually been committed.
The bench of Justice Vishal Mishra emphasized that the allegations need to be tested through evidence during the trial and not at this preliminary stage.
Pandey is currently the General Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh unit of Kishan Congress and also holds the elected post of Up-Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Singhpur. He had sought the high court to strike down the FIR registered against him on May 13 at Singhpur Police Station in Shahdol district. The FIR lists offences under Sections 352, 197, and 162 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, a new criminal code that replaced the Indian Penal Code.
The case was registered based on a complaint by a local supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to the complaint, Pandey allegedly shared a video claiming the Prime Minister backed down from military action against Pakistan due to pressure, and used disrespectful language about the Indian Army.
Pandey denied these allegations, calling the FIR politically motivated. He claimed that the video was fabricated and that he never made any such remarks. According to him, the complaint was a form of political revenge, as he had previously raised corruption complaints involving BJP supporters at a local temple. He alleged that the FIR was filed under political pressure.
The government, represented by Deputy Advocate General Swapnil Ganguly, argued that the case involved serious claims and that the police must be allowed to complete the investigation. It was also noted that Pandey is currently out on bail.
The grounds raised are matters of evidence to be presented during trial, court said and dismissed Pandey’s petition.
Case Title: Yadvendra Pandey vs State of Madhya Pradesh
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