The Uttarakhand High Court has granted interim protection from arrest to former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore in connection with multiple FIRs registered against him for allegedly circulating defamatory content on social media.
The order came on Tuesday from a single-judge bench of Justice Ashish Naithani, who was hearing Rathore’s petition seeking quashing of the FIR lodged in Haridwar on December 24, 2025. The FIR invoked Sections 248(B) and 336(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which relate to making false accusations with intent to harm and forgery aimed at damaging reputation, respectively.
According to the FIR, Rathore, along with a co-accused, allegedly spread defamatory material online targeting Dushyant Kumar Gautam, international president of the Shiromani Guru Ravidas Shiv Mahapeeth. The complaint claimed the content hurt the sentiments of the Ravidas community and created communal unrest.
Rathore, however, denied any involvement and argued that the FIR was politically motivated. He also submitted that the co-accused, Urmila, is not his legally wedded wife, and that the viral content was artificially generated, possibly using AI tools, without his knowledge or consent.
Advocate Vaibhav Chauhan, appearing on Rathore’s behalf, contended that the charges under Sections 248(B) and 336(4) of the BNS do not apply in the absence of any false criminal complaint or forged documents initiated by Rathore. He said the allegations lacked the essential ingredients required to sustain a criminal prosecution under the new penal code.
After hearing the arguments, the court granted interim relief to Rathore by staying any coercive action in the case, including arrest. The bench also took note of the multiple FIRs filed in Haridwar and Dehradun districts for similar allegations, indicating a pattern of repetitive prosecution.
The matter will now proceed for further hearing on whether the FIRs deserve to be quashed entirely.
