Petition in Madhya Pradesh HC Over Communal Coverage of Rape Case in Bhopal

The Wire

24-05-2025

Bhopal: A resident of Bhopal, hurt by the communal coverage of a rape case in the city, has filed a writ petition in the Madhya Pradesh high court, seeking criminal action against the editors of Hindi dailies Dainik Bhaskar and Navdunia .
The petition has been filed by a resident who works in the private sector and does not want to be named at the moment. He identifies as an ordinary citizen with no political or organisational affiliation. He is not a social activist or public figure, but says he was compelled to approach the court after feeling deeply hurt by the communal framing in the media coverage.
The petition accuses the newspapers of repeatedly using the term 'love jihad ' while reporting the incident, thereby linking the crime to an entire community. It argues that the coverage went beyond the crime itself and attempted to blame a community as a whole, thereby disturbing communal harmony and promoting social division.
The petitioner identifies as a devout follower of Islam and a believer in the secular values enshrined in the Indian constitution. The case involves a brutal crime in which women students from Bhopal's TIT College were allegedly raped and blackmailed with videos taken of them. The petitioner stresses that the matter should be treated strictly as a criminal case.
The petition alleges that Dainik Bhaskar and Navdunia deliberately portrayed the incident through a communal lens by invoking the term 'love jihad ,' a phrase that has no legal basis in Indian law. It adds that these publications published inflammatory reports linking the religion of the accused in a rape case to the entire Muslim community.
He expresses special concern over the misuse of the word ' jihad ', explaining that in the Quran it means striving for justice and defending the oppressed, not committing crimes. He quotes verses from the Quran (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:190, Surah Al-Hajj 22:39) to support that the term jihad has been twisted to paint Muslims as criminals.
He says that such reporting disrespects Islamic teachings, harms the dignity and religious sentiments of millions of peaceful citizens. The distortion of the term into 'love jihad ' and its use in crime reporting is an attack on his religious beliefs, he adds.
The plea claims this narrative is being weaponised to create division between Hindus and Muslims, threatening the country's secular fabric and social harmony. He also cites examples of the headlines and articles published by these outlets that allegedly portrayed the accused's religion as central to the crime.
On April 26, a headline: ' Muslim yuvakon ka dusra giroh bhi phansata tha Hindu ladkiyon ko, do aur peeditaein pahunchi thane (Second gang of Muslim boys also lured Hindu girls, two more survivors come forward).' On April 28, Dainik Bhaskar ran another headline: 'Farhan ne Hindu chhatra se Indore mein kiya tha dushkarm, phone par bhai ne suni cheekhein (Farhan raped Hindu girl in Indore, brother heard screams on phone).'
Yet another piece compared the rape incident in Bhopal to The Kerala Story , implying a larger religious conspiracy: Bhopal mein love jihad ka the Kerala story pattern (Love jihad in Bhopal follows The Kerala Story pattern…)'
The plea states that such coverage violates Articles 14, 15, 19, 21, and 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee equality, non-discrimination, freedom of speech, life with dignity, and religious freedom.
It says, 'This is part of a criminal conspiracy to incite one community against another, spread false information, and mislead India's peace-loving citizens by promoting a non-existent legal concept as if it were an established law. Such actions harm the unity and integrity of the country. In reality, there is no official definition of 'Love Jihad' in Indian law. Neither the National Investigation Agency nor any other official body has recognized or defined it as a crime. Yet, these newspapers and media outlets continue to publish fabricated reports, creating social tension, hatred, and ill will among communities.'
The petition has urged the high court to call for firm judicial directions to prevent the media from publishing such divisive and misleading narratives in the future and that the issue is not only an attack on one community but a serious threat to India's secular democracy.
We tried reaching out to the editors of both organizations via a phone call for a response, but were unable to connect. We have sent an email to both organizations. This story will be updated if and when they respond.