The Meghalaya High Court has ordered the clubbing of three separate First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against former Member of the District Council (MDC), Sofior Rahman. The cases, filed across different police stations, stem from a single social media post that allegedly triggered communal tension and violence during the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) election period.
A bench led by Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere issued the directive while disposing of a petition filed by Rahman. The court ruled that since all three FIRs were based on the same cause of action—the specific content of a Facebook post—they should be investigated together by a single police station rather than through separate parallel proceedings.
The controversy began in March this year when Sofior Rahman, a former MDC, allegedly published a provocative post on Facebook. The content was reported to be capable of disturbing public order and inciting communal friction. Following the post, FIRs were registered at the Araimile, Songsak, and Tura police stations under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
The legal action coincided with a period of intense unrest in the Garo Hills. Violence had erupted in the region following a state notification that sought to bar non-tribals from contesting the GHADC elections—a significant shift from a practice that had been in place for over 70 years. The ensuing violence claimed two lives, leading the High Court to eventually cancel the notification and the state government to postpone the elections originally scheduled for April 10.
Appearing for Rahman, counsel argued that the registration of multiple FIRs for the same alleged offense was legally untenable. Citing various Supreme Court precedents, the petitioner contended that investigating the same social media post across different jurisdictions would lead to procedural redundancy and harassment.
The petitioner requested the court to club the cases to ensure a streamlined and lawful investigation process.
The High Court observed that the allegations in all three cases were fundamentally linked to the same social media activity. To maintain legal consistency, the bench directed that the FIRs registered at Tura and Songsak (which had been moved to the Crime Branch in Tura) be transferred to the Araimile Police Station, where the first case was initially lodged.
The court noted the serious nature of the allegations, acknowledging that the post was “provocative and capable of disturbing public order among different communities.” However, it maintained that the investigation must proceed according to the law under a unified framework.
“The directions shall be complied with forthwith. The petition is accordingly disposed of,” the court stated in its order.
