Overview
- Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj stayed further investigation and issued notice on petitions seeking to quash the Ludhiana FIR.
- The order underscores protection for reporting as part of free speech and says criminal liability cannot be based on motivated reactions by others.
- Punjab's counsel argued the posts were inflammatory and capable of disturbing public tranquillity and sought to place additional material on record.
- The FIR, registered on December 12, 2025, invokes Sections 353(1), 353(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against RTI activist Manik Goyal and journalists Baljinder Singh, Maninderjit Singh and Mandeep Singh Makkar.
- Petitioners said their coverage relied on publicly available flight-tracking data after an RTI seeking aircraft use and travel details was denied under Section 24 citing security.