Zero FIR Filed After 15‑Year‑Old Accused of Abusing PM Modi at Jantar Mantar Protest

Police in Noida logged a zero‑FIR against Ruchika Singh, 15, after the girl allegedly shouted abusive slogans at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the July 23 protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The case, registered under Sections 352, 353(1) and 356(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, was sent to Parliament Street Police Station in Delhi for further investigation.^[1]

Teen Appears in Apology Video Claiming She Was Influenced by the Crowd

A video that surfaced online shows Singh, who says she is 15, pleading with folded hands and claiming she was carried away by the crowd. In the clip, she says she attended the protest with friends after visiting Connaught Place and that the slogans she raised were not intended to be harmful. She calls her actions a ‘first and last mistake’ and asks the entire country to forgive her.^[1]

Police Actions and Arrest Record

Noida Police visited the Lotus Zing Society in Sector 168, where Singh and her mother lived, finding the apartment locked since the protest. The zero‑FIR was filed at Noida’s Expressway Police Station on July 29 before being transferred to the Delhi station.^[1]

Prime Minister Offers Forgiveness to the Accused

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a video message on Instagram, urging forgiveness for students who raised abusive slogans during the protest. He said the slogans, especially those targeting him and his late mother, were deeply disturbing, but he urged that young people be guided rather than harshly punished.^[1]

Opposition Response to the Criminal Proceedings

The Cockroach Janta Party, which organized the Jantar Mantar protest, criticized the criminal case. Its spokesperson Saurav Das said that while objectionable language should not be condoned, criminal prosecution could chill free speech and that defamation proceedings might be more appropriate.^[1]