Karnataka High Court Quashes FIR Against Journalist Rahul Shivshankar Over Tweet On Religious Minorities Fund Allocation

The Karnataka High Court on Monday (March 17) allowed TV journalist Rahul Shivshankar's plea seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him for his tweet about the State government's allocation of funds for welfare of religious minorities.

Justice M Nagaprasanna while pronouncing the order said that the petition has been allowed and the FIR has been quashed.

On February 13, the court had reserved its judgment in Sivasankar's plea after hearing the parties. Advocate Bipin Hegde appearing for Shivshankar had then submitted, “I have not given a false statement in the tweet, what is mentioned in the budget I have stated milords.”

Shivshankar had tweeted asking why temples, which generate large revenue for the State Government, have not been allocated any funds in the budget whereas other religious places of worship have been allocated large sums of funds.

Additional Special Public Prosecutor B N Jagadeesha appearing for the State had then submitted, “The very tweet itself is false. It is false and intended to create disharmony between two groups.”

The journalist is booked under Sections 153A and 505 of IPC on a complaint by Kolar councillor N Ambaresh who opposed Sivasankar's "sarcastic" tweet about fund allocation for development of Waqf properties, Haj Bhavan in Mangalore and development of Christian places of worship. Such statements of the petitioner (Sivasankar) have a tendency to incite hatred/disharmony between religious groups, the councillor has alleged.

Sivasankar has in his plea submitted the impugned tweet merely stating three factual points and the entire premise of the FIR that he is propagating false information is incorrect.

Further it is said that as a journalist, he often shares factual tweets in this manner to increase public awareness on issues of importance but the same cannot be used to impute any criminality on his part.

The plea states "Such a question, cannot in any manner be construed to be an attempt to create hatred/animosity between religious groups. If such questions are termed as an attempt to create hatred/animosity between religious groups then no journalist or person would ever be able to ask any questions in this country with respect to issues pertaining to religion".

Case Title: RAHUL SIVASANKAR AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT & ANR

Case No: CRL.P 2457/2024 

Citation No: 2025 LiveLaw (Kar) 105