Comments on social media: SC grants anticipatory bail to folk singer Neha Singh Rathore

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to folk singer Neha Singh Rathore in a case filed against her over a social media post on last year’s Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. A bench of justices JK Maheshwari and AS Chandurkar granted the relief to her after noting that she had appeared before the authorities and recorded her statements in connection with the case. The top court asked her to continue cooperating in the investigation.

Rathore has challenged the Allahabad High Court order of last year rejecting her plea for anticipatory bail in the case. On January 7, the SC granted interim protection from arrest to Rathore in a case filed against her over the social media post.

The said comments allegedly targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP in connection with the killing of 26 tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. The top court had issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh Government and the complainant in the case, and said no coercive steps shall be taken against her. It had directed Rathore to appear before the investigating officer and cooperate in the probe.