Allahabad HC dismisses plea seeking FIR against spiritual leader Rambhadracharya
On September 1, the Allahabad High Court dismissed a petition requesting the registration of an FIR against spiritual leader Rambhadracharya, in connection with remarks he allegedly made about the Upadhyay community and revered religious figures like the Shankaracharyas. The two-judge bench, consisting of Justices Chandra Dhari Singh and Tarun Saxena, determined that the petitioner must first exhaust all available statutory remedies under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita before seeking the high court's intervention under Article 226.
The petitioner, Ramesh Upadhyay of Varanasi, argued that Rambhadracharya's comments caused severe psychological distress to him and other members of the Upadhyay community. Additionally, he claimed the spiritual leader made disparaging remarks about the four Shankaracharyas, which hurt the religious sentiments of many followers. Videos of these statements were distributed on social media, including YouTube.
Upadhyay had filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Police in Varanasi on October 8, 2025, seeking the registration of an FIR against Rambhadracharya under relevant penal provisions. However, no FIR had been issued at the time of the court's ruling. The State argued that the petitioner should have first approached the police station under Section 175 BNSS, rather than directly appealing to the high court.
The court emphasized that if a person believes their FIR has not been registered or that an inadequate investigation is being conducted, their recourse should be to the Magistrate under Section 175 BNSS, rather than the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution. The two-judge bench concluded that the petition should be dismissed.
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