The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to Bhojpuri folk singer and activist Neha Singh Rathore in a criminal case linked to her social media posts about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Pahalgam terror attack.
A bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar confirmed the interim protection from arrest earlier granted to the singer.
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Background of the Case
The case arose from an FIR registered in Lucknow after Rathore allegedly posted comments on social media following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 tourists were killed.
According to the prosecution, Rathore’s posts criticised the Prime Minister and referred to political issues such as nationalism and Hindu-Muslim politics. Authorities claimed that the posts were objectionable and could disturb communal harmony and national unity.
Earlier, Rathore approached the Allahabad High Court seeking anticipatory bail. However, the High Court rejected her plea in December 2025, observing that the posts were made at a sensitive time and used the Prime Minister’s name in a “disrespectful manner.”
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Supreme Court Proceedings
After the High Court’s refusal, Rathore challenged the order before the Supreme Court. In January, the top court granted her interim protection from arrest and directed her to cooperate with the investigation.
During the latest hearing, the State informed the court that Rathore had appeared before the authorities as directed and that her statement had already been recorded.
Court’s Observation and Decision
Taking note of this development, the bench made the interim relief permanent.
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“The petitioner has complied with the earlier directions and appeared before the investigating agency,” the bench observed.
The Court ordered that Rathore will continue to cooperate with the investigation as required, while confirming the protection from arrest.
With this direction, the Supreme Court made the interim protection absolute and granted anticipatory bail to the singer.
Case Title: Neha Singh Rathore @ Neha Kumari vs State of Uttar Pradesh & Anr.
Case Number: SLP (Crl) No. 21174/2025
Decision Date: March 10, 2026
