Zero FIR against Noida woman over PM Modi remarks: Is abusive language punishable under Indian law?

Noida Police registered a zero FIR against Ruchika Singh on July 29 for alleged remarks against PM Narendra Modi during a protest at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, on July 23, 2026.

The FIR was filed under Sections 352, 353(1), and 356(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), covering intentional insult, public mischief, and defamation, not obscenity laws.

The case originated from a complaint by Smriti Singh, a Supreme Court advocate, and was transferred to Delhi Police because the alleged incident occurred in Delhi.

Indian courts have historically read 'obscenity' narrowly, as seen in the landmark Ranjit D. Udeshi v State of Maharashtra case concerning D.H. Lawrence's novel Lady Chatterley's Lover, meaning crude language may not meet the legal threshold for obscenity.