The Allahabad High Court stayed the arrest of Gaurav Bharti on September 22 after a police complaint was filed on August 19 under sections 352 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and section 66 of the Information Technology Act. Bharti, a student‑member of the Cockroach Janta Party, recorded a video on August 16 at Karanpur Majra Basmal primary school, showing a disused building, water‑logged classrooms, and a cross‑marked structure that was claimed to be in use. He posted the footage to highlight the neglect of a public educational institution, arguing it was done in good faith.
The video attracted a massive audience, with Bharti boasting 2.5 lakh followers on Instagram and 1.5 lakh on Facebook. In the FIR, authorities allege that he entered the school with an unidentified person under the influence of liquor, allegedly speaking “useless things” to teachers. Bharti contends that the FIR fails to detail the words spoken, the intended target, or any assault or threat.
A division bench of Justices Salil Kumar Rai and Padam Narain Mishra directed the state government to submit a counter‑affidavit within eight weeks, leaving the legal process in motion. The stay allows Bharti to continue his advocacy and social media outreach without the threat of immediate detention.
The next development will be the state’s response, due by November 22, which will determine whether the FIR can proceed or be dismissed. This case underscores the tension between digital activism and legal accountability in India’s public education sector.
Local teachers and students in Farrukhabad have expressed relief that the court’s decision may prevent a punitive response to a video that exposed real infrastructure problems, potentially sparking broader reforms.