By Rajesh Pandey
The Allahabad High Court has refused to quash the FIR and declined to grant any interim relief to two accused — Gauhar Khan and Shakib Jamal — from Bareilly, who had raised the slogan “Sar Tan se Juda” during a procession held on September 26 in support of the controversial “I Love Mohammad” campaign.
The FIR had been registered at the Cantt police station of Bareilly district under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
A Division Bench of Justices Ajay Bhanot and Garima Prasad heard a writ petition submitted by Khan and Jamal, which sought two key orders: first, the quashing of the FIR registered against them in connection with the procession and slogan-raising; and second, a direction to state and police authorities that no coercive action should be taken against the petitioners pursuant to the said FIR.
The court dismissed the petition outright.
Background of the Incident:
The matter traces back to a provocative banner campaign that emerged during the Barawafat (Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi) procession on September 4 in Rawatpur (Kanpur), where a group had displayed a “I Love Mohammad” banner along the route of an Islamic religious procession.
Local Hindu groups objected, alleging the introduction of a “new tradition” into a space historically used for Mawlid celebrations.
State authorities argued that the government’s rules prohibit the introduction of such new customs into religious processions. The police intervened and registered FIRs against several persons.
In a direct fallout of that event, on September 26 in Bareilly, participants in a protest procession — organised ostensibly in support of the “I Love Mohammad” campaign and in reaction to police action in Kanpur — raised slogans such as “Sar Tan se Juda”.
The protest drew a heavy police presence and later erupted into violent clashes, leading to multiple arrests and FIRs filed against over 2,000 persons.
Khan and Jamal were among those named in an FIR at the Cantt police station for the Bareilly procession.
Their petition to have the FIR quashed and to bar any coercive action was rejected by the High Court on Monday, meaning the investigation and potential legal proceedings will continue.
#ILoveMohammad #BareillyProtests #AllahabadHighCourt #Straw-SloganCase #BNS #ReligiousProcessionClash #UPLawAndOrder #CommunalTension