FIR against Jaipur journalist for social media post targeting Rajasthan Chief Secretary

An FIR has been registered against a Jaipur-based journalist for allegedly posting a defamatory article on social media targeting the Rajasthan Chief Secretary and the administration.

According to the FIR registered on Friday (May 8, 2026), the action was initiated following a Facebook post dated April 26 by freelance journalist Mahesh Jhalani, which allegedly contained objectionable content affecting the image of the State Government and senior officials.

However, in a subsequent social media post late Saturday (May 9), Mr. Jhalani expressed regret over the language used by him and met Chief Secretary V. Srinivas, in person and conveyed his apology. He claimed the officer accepted his apology with "grace and generosity".

In the post, the journalist had sharply criticised the functioning of the administration, alleging the system had become "paralysed", and questioned the leadership of the Chief Secretary, citing lack of field experience and ineffective governance.

The article also alleged that administrative decisions were largely confined to files with little impact on the ground and accused the top bureaucracy of focusing more on image-building than substantive work. In a subsequent social media post late Saturday (May 9), Mr. Jhalani expressed regret over the language used by him.

He said the post was written "in a moment of anger and agitation" and acknowledged that its tone was inappropriate and against journalistic values. He added that upon reflection, he felt the comments had hurt the dignity of a senior officer and did not align with the principles of responsible journalism.

The journalist also maintained that while criticism is a democratic right, it should not undermine personal dignity, and described his apology as a "moral resolution" beyond legal recourse.

The office of the Chief Secretary had earlier directed that legal action be taken under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.

The Home Department of the Rajasthan government had issued instructions to register a case against the journalist at Ashok Nagar police station in Jaipur.

Officials said the article was found to be "misleading and defamatory" in nature and warranted legal action to curb such attempts on electronic social media platforms.

Acting on the directions, police in Jaipur South registered a case various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 66D of the IT Act on May 8.

The case has been assigned to investigating officer Motilal Sharma, and further investigation is underway, police said.