New Delhi [India], July 25 (ANI): The Supreme Court has extended interim protection from arrest to petitioner Raushan Sinha, who is facing criminal proceedings over a social media post referencing a controversial statement attributed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

A bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih passed the order on July 24, 2025, directing that Sinha shall not be arrested in connection with any FIR related to FIR No. 1619/2025, provided he appears before the Investigating Officer.

The Court's latest order comes as a continuation of its earlier direction dated July 17, wherein the petitioner was first granted limited relief. The safeguard has now been explicitly extended and reinforced, following submissions made by Advocate Ashish Dixit, who mentioned the matter urgently before the bench, citing the petitioner's apprehension of arrest in other FIRs arising from the same incident.

The case originates from Rahul Gandhi's remarks in the Lok Sabha on July 1, 2024, where he reportedly stated,'Those who call themselves Hindus are 24 hours engaged in violence, hatred, and lies.'

Following the speech, Sinha shared a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account with an image of Rahul Gandhi and the caption:'Those who are Hindus are violent - Rahul Gandhi.'

The post led to the registration of FIR No. 1619/2025 at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Hyderabad, on July 2, 2024, under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including Sections 352, 353(2), 353(1)(c), and 336(4). The complaint was filed by Venkat Naik, a Congress supporter, alleging that Sinha had distorted Gandhi's remarks to incite communal hatred and serve political motives.

Through his legal team -- led by Advocate Ashish K. Dixit, with Shivam Tiwari, Umar Hashmi, Charu Pragya, Sujeet Ranjan, and Advocate-on-Record Astha Deep -- Sinha argued that the FIR was part of a politically motivated campaign and that his post merely echoed widespread public interpretation of Rahul Gandhi's controversial remarks.

Sinha also cited threats and intimidation from political operatives, as well as alleged harassment by the Telangana Police, who visited his residence. He pointed to a post by Sama Ram Mohan Reddy, the Congress party's state social media in-charge, accusing him of spreading 'fake news' and warning of police action.

The legal team emphasized that Sinha has no criminal history, poses no flight risk, and that custodial interrogation is neither required nor justified.

Earlier, the Telangana High Court had denied anticipatory bail to Sinha via its order dated April 3, 2025, directing him to appear before the Investigating Officer but offering no protection from arrest. Fearing imminent arrest, the petitioner did not comply and moved the Supreme Court under Article 136 of the Constitution, challenging the High Court's refusal.

The Supreme Court initially took up the matter on July 17, 2025, granting temporary relief. Now, with its July 24 order, the Court has explicitly extended the protection from arrest, stating that Sinha cannot be arrested in connection with any FIR linked to FIR No. 1619/2025, subject to his appearance before the IO on the scheduled date.

The matter is now listed for further hearing on July 29, 2025. Until then, Raushan Sinha remains shielded from arrest, with the Supreme Court's protection continuing to hold the field. (ANI)