By Maktoob
A Delhi court on Tuesday sought responses from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Delhi Police on a revision petition filed by activist Harsh Mander seeking registration of an FIR against the BJP leader over alleged hate speech targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Additional Sessions Judge Sonu Agnihotri of the Saket Courts issued notice on Mander’s plea challenging an earlier magistrate court order that had refused to direct the registration of an FIR, Live Law reported.
The complaint accuses Sarma of making statements that allegedly promoted enmity and public mischief, including remarks urging people to “trouble Miyas” and claims that several lakh “Miya” voters would be removed from electoral rolls during Assam’s Special Intensive Revision exercise.
Earlier, on April 20, a Judicial Magistrate First Class had dismissed Mander’s application under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), holding that the Delhi court lacked territorial jurisdiction. The magistrate had also observed that there was no material on record to show that the alleged remarks caused disharmony or incitement within the court’s jurisdiction.
During the hearing on the revision petition, Mander’s counsel argued that the trial court had wrongly rejected the plea on jurisdictional grounds, contending that Section 173(1) of the BNSS allows information about a cognisable offence to be reported at any police station regardless of where the offence occurred, invoking the principle of a “Zero FIR”.
The petitioner also relied on the Union Home Ministry’s Standard Operating Procedure on Zero FIR and e-FIR, which was placed on record before the court.
Taking note of the submissions, the court issued notice to the respondents and listed the matter for hearing on July 15, 2026.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com.