AMN / NEWS DESK
Police in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) have registered two FIRs against BJP Minority Morcha leader and social media influencer Nazia Elahi Khan over allegations that remarks made in a social media podcast hurt the religious sentiments of members of the Muslim community.
The first FIR was registered on Monday evening at Shanti Nagar police station in Bhiwandi following a complaint filed by local resident Adnan Ansari. According to the complaint, Ansari came across an Instagram podcast reel posted on June 19 in which Khan, during a conversation with a host identified as Divya Singh, allegedly made objectionable remarks concerning Prophet Muhammad.
The complainant stated that after discussing the content with members of the local community, he approached the police seeking legal action.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case against Khan under provisions related to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious sentiments, along with relevant sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
Senior Inspector Vinayak Gaikwad confirmed the registration of the FIR and said authorities are examining whether the investigation should be transferred to West Bengal, where Khan is based.
In a related development, a second case in the form of a zero FIR was registered on Tuesday at Mumbai’s JJ Marg police station in connection with the same social media video. Police officials indicated that the case will subsequently be transferred to West Bengal for further investigation.
Controversial Public Profile
Nazia Elahi Khan, who also identifies herself publicly as “Nazia Sanatani”, has remained a controversial figure in public discourse in recent years.
She earlier served as legal counsel for Ishrat Jahan, one of the petitioners associated with the Supreme Court litigation challenging the practice of triple talaq. Following the court’s ruling, both Khan and Jahan joined the BJP in 2018.
Khan has also drawn attention for several social media interventions and public claims. Her legal record includes a 2021 arrest by Kolkata Police in connection with allegations of cheating involving approximately ₹6 lakh in a matrimonial dispute matter. Khan had denied the allegations and described the case as politically motivated.
More recently, in April 2026, she generated public debate after alleging that a Lenskart store in Mumbai’s Andheri area prohibited employees from wearing religious symbols, including bindis. The allegation was later denied by Lenskart founder Peyush Bansal.
The latest FIRs add to ongoing scrutiny around online speech, public commentary and the legal boundaries governing content shared on social media platforms.