Teen's post not aimed at hurting sentiments, says HC, quashes FIR

PANAJI: Bombay high court has quashed an FIR registered against a Mapusa college student after it found that her online comments did not reveal any deliberate or malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any community, reports Lisa Monteiro.
The FIR was lodged against her in May for allegedly posting and circulating derogatory comments on social media in respect to religious rituals, thereby outraging religious sentiments.
The 18-year-old student came across a post/reel online, which showed the emission of smoke in a huge wall of smog along with the sight of a flame in front of a crowd. She reposted the post/reel on her private Instagram account through her story, expressing concerns regarding pollution that she perceived in the images. She said, "I don't know how you can call it a culture or a tradition and praise anybody while you cause harm to the environment in such a manner."
The student's post spurred a complaint from Amit Gaonkar of Bicholim, and the FIR was filed at the Mapusa police station. After the FIR was filed, she immediately put out her public apology on her Instagram.
She said, "I sincerely apologise. There was no intention on my behalf to harm or hurt anybody's religious sentiments."