Delhi HC Asks Police to Respond to Mahua Moitra’s Plea to Quash FIR Over ‘Derogatory’ Remark

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 26th July. The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the city police to respond to a plea filed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra, seeking the quashing of an FIR against her. The FIR pertains to Moitra’s social media comment deemed derogatory towards National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma.

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna issued a notice to the Delhi Police and requested a status report within four weeks. The case is scheduled for a hearing on November 6 to debate the legality and validity of the FIR filed against Moitra.

The FIR, registered under Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), accuses Moitra of insulting the modesty of a woman. It marks the first FIR under the BNS since its implementation on July 1 by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell.

The controversy arose from Moitra’s comment on a video shared on X, which showed NCW chief Rekha Sharma at a stampede site in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras. The comment, which Moitra later deleted, included a reference to a man holding an umbrella behind Sharma.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, representing Moitra, argued in court that they had not been provided with a copy of the FIR despite multiple requests. The police subsequently provided the FIR copy to Moitra’s counsel in court.

The FIR indicated that the NCW had taken suo motu cognisance of Moitra’s remarks and that the FIR was filed based on a complaint from the NCW. The FIR describes Moitra’s comments as “extremely outrageous” and a “violation of a woman’s right to live with dignity.”