The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a petition seeking registration of an FIR against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his alleged remarks concerning the safety of Sikhs in India during his visit to the United States in 2024.
Justice Vikram D Chauhan declined to interfere with two orders passed by courts in Varanasi, which had rejected the complainant’s request for criminal proceedings against Gandhi.
The High Court observed that the allegations rested entirely on newspaper reports attributing certain statements to Gandhi. The petitioner had failed to provide the date, time or location where the alleged remarks were made.
The court held that registration of a criminal case could not be directed in the absence of such particulars.
Allegations Based on Newspaper Reports
The proceedings arose from an application filed by Nageshwar Mishra, who sought registration of an FIR against Gandhi over statements allegedly made during his 2024 visit to the United States.
According to newspaper reports cited in the complaint, Gandhi had allegedly stated that Sikhs did not feel safe in India.
Mishra approached the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Varanasi, seeking criminal action against the Congress leader. However, the magistrate rejected his application on October 17, 2025.
The petitioner subsequently challenged that decision before the sessions court, which also dismissed his revision petition on July 9.
Following these setbacks, Mishra approached the Allahabad High Court under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), questioning both orders.
High Court Finds Allegations Lacking Specific Details
While examining the petition, Justice Chauhan noted that the only material relied upon against Gandhi consisted of newspaper reports concerning his alleged statements during his US visit.
The court found that the complaint did not identify when or where the remarks had allegedly been made.
In these circumstances, the High Court concluded that no direction could be issued to register a criminal case against Gandhi.
Dismissing the petition, the court upheld the refusal of the Varanasi courts to order registration of an FIR based on the allegations presented.
