Madras High Court issues notice on plea to investigate CJP's Saurav Das, block his X and Instagram accounts

A businessman has approached the Madras High Court seeking an investigation into the background, identity documents and alleged funding of Yogesh Sharma, also known as Saurav Das, the National Co-Convenor of the Cockroach Janata Party. 

The Madras High Court has issued notice on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a detailed investigation into the background and identity documents of Yogesh Sharma, also known as Saurav Das, the National Co-Convenor of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).

A businessman approached the court on Friday, seeking directions to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to conduct an immediate, detailed and fair investigation into Das and his parents, news agency PTI reported.

In his petition, Ganesh Kumar alleged that Das's lineage could be traced to Nepal and argued that the claim required investigation. He contended that if the allegation was found to be true, "he cannot lecture about our government and our judiciary."

The petitioner also accused Das of "abusing" the judiciary and sought the cancellation of his passport and Aadhaar card if he was found guilty of the alleged violations.

A first bench comprising Chief Justice S A Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan heard the PIL filed by Kumar, a resident of Kancheepuram district. The court ordered notice, returnable by six weeks, to the Union government, the Regional Passport Officer and 10 others.

Plea seeks blocking of Saurav Das's social media accounts

Kumar also sought directions to the Ministry of Electronics and Telecommunications to block the Twitter and Instagram accounts operating under the name "Saurav Das".

The petition sought to prevent Das from making further derogatory statements against the judiciary and judges of the Supreme Court.

It also sought an order restraining him from making allegedly defamatory, browbeating, abusive, vulgar, barbaric and disparaging statements against the judiciary, including personal remarks against judges of the Supreme Court, high courts and lower courts.

The petitioner argued that such remarks should not be permitted in the guise of freedom of speech and expression, whether made through traditional media or social media platforms.

He further sought to extend the proposed restraint to statements made through Das's friends, colleagues, agents or representatives while the case remained pending.

Petitioner raises questions over identity documents and funding

In his petition, Kumar alleged that Das had repeatedly made abusive remarks against the judiciary and claimed that such conduct amounted to an abuse of the Constitution.

He further alleged that if information about Das having Nepali roots was true, Yogesh Sharma had deliberately concealed these details and fraudulently obtained an Aadhaar card, Voter ID card and Indian passport.

The petitioner sought an investigation into how Das obtained these identity documents and the sources of funding allegedly supporting his activities.

He also called for an inquiry into the individuals or entities providing funds to Das and the accounts through which the money was received.

Kumar argued that a detailed investigation into these aspects was necessary in the interest of the nation and accountability.

The allegations and requests form part of the petition before the Madras High Court. The court has issued notice to the respondents, with the matter returnable in six weeks.

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Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.