Plea filed in Supreme Court to quash FIR for WhatsApp claim that consuming beef essential to being Hindu

A journalist booked for circulating a WhatsApp message claiming that eating beef was essential to being a good Hindu and that Brahmins regularly consumed bovine meat has moved the Supreme Court with a plea to quash the criminal case against him [Buddha Prakash Bouddha v The State of Madhya Pradesh and Others].

A Bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan has sought the response of the Madhya Pradesh High Court government in the matter.

“Issue notice to the respondents. Notice is also issued on the interim prayer. Petitioner’s counsel is permitted to serve the first respondent–State,” the Court ordered.

The accused journalist, Buddha Prakash Bouddha, posted the controversial message in a WhatsApp group titled “B P Bauddh Patrakar News Group" in September 2025.

According to the complaint filed against him, Bouddha posted a seven-page message containing derogatory and misleading comments regarding the Hindu religion and the Brahmin community.

The forwarded message referred to ancient rituals and claimed that consuming beef was essential to being a good Hindu, that meat consumption was obligatory on certain occasions, that cows and bulls were allegedly slaughtered in various religious ceremonies, and that Brahmins regularly consumed bovine meat. The message also contained several offensive remarks targeting the Brahmin community, the complainant said.

The police registered a criminal case against Bouddha for various offences, including the offences under Section 196(1)(b) (promoting enmity between religious groups), 299 (engaging in malicious acts to insult religious feelings) and 353 (public mischief) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Bouddha initially approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court with a plea to quash the case, arguing that he had only posted certain excerpts from a book written by Dr. Surendra Kumar Sharma (Agyaat).

The  State countered that the allegations in the complaint clearly indicated intentional publication of highly inflammatory and provocative material.

In December 2025, the High Court refused to quash the FIR, holding that the allegations prima facie disclosed ingredients of the offences invoked.

Bouddha has now challenged the High Court order before the Supreme Court.

His counsel today argued that the FIR was “completely police managed” and was filed against a journalist who had previously highlighted the malfunctioning of the police.

“Your honor, this is a completely police-managed FIR against a journalist who had highlighted the malfunctioning of the police itself.... The same police officers, on his WhatsApp group, motivated people to file the FIR against him," he said.

In response to a query from the Court, the lawyer informed that a chargesheet has been filed in the matter and that further criminal proceedings are underway.

The Court proceeded to issue notice in the matter and posted it for further hearing on March 25.

[Live Coverage]