The Delhi High Court on Friday has directed the city police to respond to a plea by TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra, who seeks to have an FIR against her dismissed. The FIR pertains to a “derogatory” social media comment she made about NCW chief Rekha Sharma.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna issued a notice to the Delhi Police and requested a status report on the case within four weeks. The court has scheduled a hearing to discuss the legality of the FIR on November 6.
The FIR was filed this month under Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which addresses actions intended to insult the modesty of a woman. This is the first FIR under the BNS registered by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell since its implementation on July 1.
The controversy began when Moitra commented on a video shared on X, showing Rekha Sharma arriving at a stampede site in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, on July 4. Moitra’s post, which she later deleted, referenced a man holding an umbrella behind Sharma.
Senior advocate Indira Jaising, representing Moitra, noted that they had not been provided with a copy of the FIR despite repeated requests. The police then handed over the FIR copy in court.
According to the FIR, the National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu cognizance of Moitra’s “derogatory remarks,” leading to the FIR being filed based on an NCW complaint. The FIR states, “The crude remarks made by Moitra are extremely outrageous and a sheer violation of a woman’s right to live with dignity.”
