Chhattisgarh HC Refuses To Quash FIR Against Professors Accused Of Forcing Namaz At NSS Camp

Last Updated:May 31, 2025, 15:41 IST

An FIR was lodged by three students who alleged that during the National Service Scheme camp in Kota, they were compelled to offer Namaz despite being adherents of the Hindu faith

The bench emphasised that courts should rarely quash FIRs at an initial stage unless the complaint is patently frivolous.

The Chhattisgarh High Court recently dismissed two petitions filed by assistant professors of Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur, seeking quashing of an FIR accusing them of coercing Hindu students to offer Namaz during a university-run National Service Scheme (NSS) camp.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Rakesh Mohan Pandey refused to interfere with the investigation at this stage, observing that the matter is still under probe and a charge sheet is yet to be filed.

An FIR was lodged by three students—Astik Sahu, Adarsh Kumar Chaturvedi, and Naveen Kumar—who alleged that during the National Service Scheme (NSS) camp held at Shivtarai, Kota, between March 26 and April 1, they were compelled to offer Namaz despite being adherents of the Hindu faith. The FIR was registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 190, 196, 197, 299, and 302, along with Section 4 of the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968.

Dilip Jha, the NSS camp coordinator, and several other university faculty members were named as accused in the case. They contended that the FIR was politically motivated, pointing to a two-week delay in filing the complaint and highlighting that only three out of over 150 participating students had raised such allegations. They further argued that a few Muslim students had voluntarily offered Namaz and there was no coercion on any participant.

Despite these arguments, the State opposed the petitions, stating that the investigation had already unearthed prima facie evidence and that witness statements backed the allegations.

Citing the Supreme Court’s decision in Neeharika Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. v. State of Maharashtra (2021), the bench emphasised that courts should rarely quash FIRs at an initial stage unless the complaint is patently frivolous or lacks even basic ingredients of a criminal offence.

“The petitioners are already on bail, the investigation is going on and the charge sheet has not been filed yet, therefore, it would not be appropriate to make any observations on the merits of the case," the bench observed, dismissing both petitions.

Salil Tiwari

Salil Tiwari, Senior Special Correspondent at Lawbeat, reports on the Allahabad High Court and courts in Uttar Pradesh, however, she also writes on important cases of national importance and public interests fr...Read More

Salil Tiwari, Senior Special Correspondent at Lawbeat, reports on the Allahabad High Court and courts in Uttar Pradesh, however, she also writes on important cases of national importance and public interests fr...

Read More

Location :

Chhattisgarh, India, India

First Published:

News india Chhattisgarh HC Refuses To Quash FIR Against Professors Accused Of Forcing Namaz At NSS Camp