New Delhi | July 21, 2025
In a clear pushback against the politicisation of legal processes, the Supreme Court of India has dismissed the Karnataka government’s plea seeking to revive an FIR against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, calling it an attempt to drag the judiciary into electoral turf wars.
Delivering sharp remarks from the bench, Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran made it clear that the Court would not become a venue for settling political grievances.
“Don’t politicise the judiciary. If there’s a battle to fight, do it in the public square, not the courtroom,” CJI Gavai stated during the hearing.
The Background: Social Media Post, Suicide Allegation & FIR
In November 2024, Tejasvi Surya posted (and later deleted) a message on X (formerly Twitter), alleging that a farmer named Rudrappa Channappa Balikai in Haveri district had died by suicide due to being dispossessed of his land by the Waqf Board. The post quickly drew controversy.
Police investigations later found that the suicide had occurred over a year earlier, in January 2022, and was reportedly linked to personal and financial hardship not a Waqf-related land dispute. Acting on its own, the Karnataka police registered an FIR against Surya under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, accusing him of spreading misinformation with communal implications.
Karnataka HC Quashes FIR, Supreme Court Upholds
Surya challenged the FIR in the Karnataka High Court, which quashed the case, stating there was no criminal intent and that the post—though incorrect—did not warrant prosecution. Unhappy with this ruling, the Karnataka government approached the Supreme Court, seeking to revive the criminal case.
But the apex court stood firm.
• It refused to entertain the petition,
• Dismissed the Special Leave Petition (SLP), and
• Imposed costs on the State for pursuing what the bench viewed as an unnecessary political escalation.
Case Title :State of Karnataka v. Tejasvi Surya
