The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the Karnataka government’s appeal seeking to reinstate a criminal case against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, and imposed a hefty ₹25 lakh fine on the state for what the court viewed as an attempt to politicize the judiciary.
A bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran refused to entertain the plea challenging the Karnataka High Court’s earlier decision to quash the FIR against Surya, which was filed in connection with a social media post he had shared about a farmer’s suicide in Haveri district.
“What is this? Don’t politicise the matter. Fight your battles before the electorate. Dismissed with costs,” CJI Gavai said, pulling up the state for bringing the matter to the apex court.
Controversial Post & Clarification
The case traces back to November 7, 2024, when Surya posted an article from a Kannada news outlet, claiming that a farmer named Rudrappa Channappa Balikai had died by suicide after his land was allegedly taken over by the Waqf Board. The post stirred significant controversy before it was deleted once the claim was found to be inaccurate.
Soon after, the Haveri district police clarified that Balikai’s death on January 6, 2022, had no connection to the Waqf Board. Instead, he had been under financial distress due to crop failures and mounting debt, which had driven him to take the extreme step.
Despite the clarification, a suo motu case was filed the same day under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), accusing Surya of promoting disharmony by spreading misinformation.
High Court Quashes Case; SC Upholds Ruling
In a prior ruling, the Karnataka High Court found no grounds to proceed with the case and struck down the FIR. The state government challenged that decision in the Supreme Court, arguing for the necessity of prosecution.
However, the apex court stood by the High Court’s judgment, dismissing the state’s appeal outright and calling the case a misuse of the legal system for political ends.
₹25 Lakh Fine As Judicial Warning
In a rare move, the Supreme Court levied ₹25 lakh in costs on the Karnataka government, marking its disapproval of the attempt to drag political matters into the courtroom.
The ruling serves as a firm message that the judiciary cannot be used as a tool for political vendettas, and that legal avenues should not be weaponized for partisan agendas.
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