Full Breakdown
Delhi Court Seeks Police Report on FIR Petition Over CM Rekha Gupta’s Hanuman Remarks
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Court Directs Police to File Status Report
A Delhi court on October 3, 2023 ordered the Station House Officer of Kashmere Gate police station to submit a status report on a complaint seeking registration of a first-information report (FIR) against Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The directive was issued by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwani Panwar of the Rouse Avenue Courts, who set the deadline for the report as October 15, 2026, when the matter will be reconsidered.
Background & Context: Controversial Remarks and Legal Complaint
During a government programme on September 23, 2025, held at the Kashmiri Gate ISBT to launch a Delhi Transport Corporation interstate bus service to Baraut, Uttar Pradesh, Gupta compared Delhi government officials to the Hindu deity Hanuman. The statement was delivered in a public address that was reportedly heard by officials, attendees, and members of the public.
Ram Niwas Sharma filed a petition alleging that the remarks insulted Lord Hanuman and hurt his religious sentiments. He sought directions for the registration of an FIR under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, and an application under Section 175(3) of the same law.
Timeline
Official Statements & Responses
Magistrate Ashwani Panwar instructed the Station House Officer of Kashmere Gate police station to file the status report by the October 15, 2026 hearing. The order noted that the court had not yet made any finding on the merits of the complaint and that the report would be examined at the next date of hearing. Advocate Sanjeet Kumar appeared for the complainant, while no response from the Delhi government or Gupta was recorded in the court proceedings.
Criticism & Opposition
Ram Niwas Sharma, the petitioner, contended that Gupta’s remarks were made in a public forum, were widely heard, and constituted an insult to religious belief. He argued that the comparison to Hanuman was disrespectful and that an FIR should be registered to address the alleged offense against religious sentiments.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Our Delhi government officials are all like Hanuman. These Hanumans work hard when their tails catch fire. Before that, they forget.” — Rekha Gupta, FIR against chief
What’s Next
The police are required to submit their status report by October 15, 2026. The court will review the report at that hearing and decide whether to order the registration of an FIR against Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.