Madras HC Quashes Case Against Student Who Raised Anti-BJP Slogans On Flight With Telangana Governor

In September 2018, Lois Sofia, a research scholar from Canada, was arrested for calling BJP government as fascist on board a flight from Chennai to Tuticorin.

Sofia was arrested for calling BJP government as fascist on board a flight from Chennai to Tuticorin.

New Delhi: The Madras High Court on Wednesday quashed the case registered against student activist Lois Sofia who raised slogans against the then Tamil Nadu BJP chief and current Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Tamilisai Soundararajan, on board a flight in 2018, Live Law reported.

In September 2018, Lois Sofia, a research scholar from Canada, was arrested for calling BJP government as fascist on board a flight from Chennai to Tuticorin. She shouted “fascist BJP government down, down” in the presence of Soundararajan, who filed a complaint.

Justice P Dhanapal of Madurai bench observed that the matter was trivial in nature and, therefore, quashed the proceedings.

The Madras High Court passed the order while hearing a plea filed by Sofia seeking to quash the proceedings pending before Tuticorin Judicial Magistrate court.

According to reports, Sofia engaged in a verbal spat with Soundararajan who was enraged by her sloganeering and later filed a police complaint.

Following the High Court verdict, Sofia took to X and wrote, “After almost five years, today the Madras high court has quashed the FIR and charge sheet against me.”

Madras high court has quashed the FIR and charge sheet filed against me in 2018 at the behest of BJP's then TN state president Dr. Tamilisai Soundarajan. Please read my public statement. வாழ்த்துக்களுக்கும் ஆதரவுக்கும் மிக்க நன்றி! #FascistBJPDownDown #பாசிச_பாஜக_ஆட்சி_ஒழிக pic.twitter.com/9hhhGr3zhE

— Sofia | சோபியா (@Red_Pastures) August 16, 2023

“The court said that raising slogans did not come under a cognisable offence; and the police cannot investigate the case under section 155 code of criminal procedure (No police officer shall investigate a non- cognizable case without the order of a Magistrate). The court also pointed out that the slogan ‘fascist BJP government down down’ did not constitute an offence,” The News Minute quoted advocate D Geetha, who argued Sofia’s case, as saying.

“We had also argued against the intervention of BJP president Annamalai in the case. But the court did not consider it. Nevertheless, we are happy with the result,” she added.