Tripura High Court Rejects Former CM Manik Sarkar's Petition to Quash FIR Over Speech

The Tripura High Court has refused to entertain a petition filed by former chief minister Manik Sarkar seeking the cancellation of a first information report (FIR) lodged against him for allegedly delivering a provocative speech. By dismissing the plea, the court has left the FIR in force, meaning the criminal proceedings will continue under existing law. Sarkar, who served as Tripura's chief minister for several terms, had approached the bench arguing that the FIR was unfounded and infringed on his right to free expression. The court, however, found no sufficient ground to set aside the report and ordered that the matter proceed through the regular judicial process. The decision may be appealed further, but for now the legal scrutiny of Sarkar's speech remains pending.