The Supreme Court on Monday strongly rebuked the Karnataka government for its appeal challenging the Karnataka High Court’s decision to quash an FIR against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. The top court not only dismissed the plea but also imposed a penalty of ₹25 lakh on the state, condemning the attempt to politicise a legal matter. The case stemmed from Surya’s social media post in November 2024, which inaccurately claimed that a farmer had died by suicide due to land acquisition by the Waqf Board.

After investigations, the Haveri police confirmed that the farmer, Rudrappa Channappa Balikai, took his life due to financial hardship caused by crop loss and mounting debt—completely unrelated to the Waqf Board. Despite the clarification and deletion of the post, authorities filed a suo-motu case under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for promoting enmity between groups.

The Karnataka High Court eventually quashed the FIR, but the state challenged this before the Supreme Court. A bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinodchandran dismissed the petition with sharp criticism. The CJI remarked that courts should not be used for political battles, urging the state to fight such matters at the ballot box, not through litigation.

By upholding the High Court’s decision and levying a significant fine, the Supreme Court sent a clear message discouraging the misuse of judicial platforms for political gains.