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Accused Maneesha Thakur gets interim arrest protection from Allahabad High Court in “Aaj Tak” logo misuse FIR.
The Allahabad High Court has granted interim protection from arrest to one Maneesha Thakur in a case registered in Mathura over alleged use of a logo deceptively similar to the news channel “Aaj Tak”, while observing that the matter requires consideration.
A division bench of Justice Rajeev Misra and Justice Padam Narain Mishra passed the order while hearing a criminal miscellaneous writ petition filed by Thakur challenging an FIR lodged on April 8, 2026 at Highway police station in Mathura district.
The FIR was registered under Sections 318(4) and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with Sections 66-C and 66-D of the Information Technology Act. The allegations stem from claims relating to the use of the logo of “Aaj Tak,” which the complainant alleged amounted to infringement and deception.
Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Brahma Kumar Tiwari argued that Thakur had already obtained copyright registration with respect to the logo “Aaj Tak News Bharat” and therefore it could not be alleged that she had violated the copyright of another media organisation.
The petitioner further argued that even if the allegations made in the FIR were accepted in entirety, no offence under the invoked penal provisions was made out. Relying upon the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment in State of Haryana Vs. Bhajan Lal (1992), counsel submitted that the FIR was liable to be quashed in exercise of the high court’s writ jurisdiction.
The State, however, opposed the plea. The Additional Government Advocate submitted before the court that a prima facie reading of the FIR clearly disclosed commission of cognizable offences and therefore no interference was warranted at the present stage. The State also argued that at the stage of investigation, the court was only required to examine whether a prima facie case existed.
The bench recorded that although the State opposed the petition, the AGA could not dislodge the factual and legal submissions advanced on behalf of the petitioner at that stage with reference to the material on record.
After hearing the parties and perusing the record, court observed that the matter required consideration. Accordingly, it issued notice to the first informant, Aaj Tak reporter Madan Gopal Sharma, while recording that notice on behalf of the State respondents had already been accepted by the AGA.
Court directed the respondents to file their counter-affidavits within six weeks and granted the petitioner two weeks thereafter to file rejoinder affidavits. The matter has been directed to be listed before the appropriate bench on August 4, 2026.
Pending further proceedings, the high court granted interim protection to the woman and directed that she shall not be arrested in connection with the impugned FIR until further orders.
Case Title: Maneesha Thakur Journalist vs. State Of U.P. And 3 Others
Bench: Justice Rajeev Misra and Justice Padam Narain Mishra
Order Date: May 5, 2026
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