Supreme Court Dismisses Karnataka's Plea Against Tejasvi Surya

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the Karnataka government's appeal against a High Court decision that quashed a criminal case against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. Surya has been accused of spreading fake news regarding a farmer's suicide in Haveri district.

The case began when Surya shared a post on November 7, 2024, citing reports from Kannada news outlets claiming a farmer died by suicide after his land was claimed by the Waqf Board. The post was later retracted once the claim was found to be baseless.

The Supreme Court bench cautioned the Karnataka government against politicizing institutions and reiterated the need for political battles to be fought electorally. Surya, in response, accused the Congress of a calculated misinformation campaign and expressed satisfaction with the judgment.

(With inputs from agencies.)