Delhi court seeks police response on FIR plea against Nishu Azad, father

• A Delhi court has sought an action-taken report from the police on a plea seeking an FIR against Nishu Azad and her father over four alleged social media posts concerning Hindu deities.

• Nishu, 14, is a student activist associated with the CJP and came into wider public attention after her father was allegedly assaulted during a Jantar Mantar protest.

• The social media case is separate from the assault proceedings involving influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj; the court has not ordered an FIR and has only sought the police's response.

A Delhi court on Wednesday, 23 September sought a response from Delhi Police on a plea seeking registration of an FIR against student activist Nishu Azad and her father, Sanjay Azad, over alleged derogatory social media posts concerning Hindu deities.

Chief judicial magistrate Mridul Gupta of the Patiala House Courts issued notice to Delhi Police and sought an action-taken report on a complaint filed by advocate Amita Sachdeva. The matter is scheduled to come up again in January 2027.

Sachdeva has alleged that four posts uploaded from Nishu's X account between September 2023 and August 2026 contained objectionable references to Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Durga. She has alleged that the posts remained publicly accessible despite her seeking their removal.

The plea seeks registration of an FIR under Sections 196, 299 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), besides applicable provisions of the Information Technology Act. Section 196 deals with promoting enmity between different groups, while Section 299 concerns deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.

Sachdeva has also sought preservation of the alleged posts and associated electronic evidence, including platform records and other digital material.

The complaint names Nishu's father Sanjay Azad as well. Sachdeva has alleged that Nishu, who has identified herself as a minor, operated the account from the family home and that her father had knowledge and control over it. The complaint itself states that the complainant has no personal knowledge of Nishu's age, leaving the issue to be determined during the investigation.

Nishu, 14, has been in the spotlight in recent months as a student activist associated with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which organised protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. She drew wider attention after her father was allegedly assaulted during one of the protests. Nishu subsequently appeared at the Parliament Street police station with Azad Samaj Party chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad and other supporters, demanding action in the case.

The alleged assault led to another controversy involving self-styled Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj. A video of Bhardwaj claiming responsibility for assaulting Sanjay Azad circulated widely, following which Delhi Police detained him from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. He was subsequently arrested in connection with the case and later released on interim bail. Bhardwaj has claimed that the incident was an act of self-defence.

Nishu has also alleged that she and her family continued to face threats following the Jantar Mantar controversy. In September, she said the threats had kept her away from school and tuition and claimed that she and her family had not received adequate security despite directions from the Supreme Court.

The latest proceedings are separate from the alleged assault case and concern only the social media content cited in Sachdeva's complaint. The court has so far sought a response from the police and has not directed registration of an FIR.

With PTI inputs