New Delhi, March 10 (NationPress) The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to Neha Singh Rathore, a folk singer, in relation to an FIR filed in Uttar Pradesh concerning her alleged objectionable social media posts about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Pahalgam terror attack.

The bench, consisting of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar, affirmed its previous interim order and mandated that Rathore be released on anticipatory bail should she be arrested, acknowledging her compliance with the investigation as directed by the Supreme Court.

“In the context of this case, without making any judgment on the merits, we find it appropriate to affirm the interim protection order and release the petitioner on anticipatory bail,” stated the bench led by Justice Maheshwari.

The court ordered that if Rathore is arrested, she must be released on bail upon providing appropriate bail bonds and sureties, with terms and conditions established by the local police station's Station House Officer.

The Supreme Court also instructed Rathore to “participate in the investigation as required and cooperate fully,” while adhering to the stipulations under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

The bench clarified that any breach of these conditions could result in legal consequences, and the trial court retains the authority to take necessary actions in accordance with the law.

This ruling followed the Supreme Court being informed that Rathore had appeared before investigators as per earlier directives, and her statement had been documented.

On January 7, the bench, led by Justice Maheshwari, had issued a notice regarding Rathore's special leave petition (SLP) contesting the Allahabad High Court’s rejection of her anticipatory bail request, previously granting her interim protection against arrest, conditional on her cooperation with the investigation.

The FIR against Rathore was lodged at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 69(a) of the Information Technology Act, following a complaint from Abhay Pratap Singh alias Nirbheek.

The Allahabad High Court noted that Rathore's posts were made at a “critical and sensitive time” following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, which resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists, asserting that the posts appeared to target the Prime Minister in a “disrespectful manner.”

“While Article 19 of the Constitution of India guarantees freedom to all citizens, such freedom is subject to reasonable restrictions for the sake of public order, decency, or morality,” the Allahabad High Court remarked, adding that the FIR and case notes suggested the posts were directed against the Prime Minister and had the potential to disrupt public order.