The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the anticipatory bail plea of Indore-based cartoonist Hemant Malviya on July 14, 2025, after the Madhya Pradesh High Court denied him relief. Malviya is accused of posting "objectionable" cartoons of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers on social media.

The case originated in May 2025 when an FIR was filed against Malviya at the Lasudiya police station in Indore based on a complaint by Vinay Joshi, a local lawyer and RSS worker. The complaint alleges that Malviya's actions were a deliberate and malicious attempt to insult religious beliefs and create disharmony, constituting a cognizable offense under applicable legal provisions. The specific cartoon in question depicts Modi with a stethoscope, administering an injection to a person bending over and a man wearing the RSS uniform is shown bending over with his shorts pulled down and exposing his bottom to the caricature of the Prime Minister.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court denied anticipatory bail to Malviya on July 3, 2025, with Justice Subodh Abhyankar stating that Malviya had misused his freedom of speech and expression. The High Court also noted that Malviya's Facebook page featured derogatory remarks, which were likely to offend religious sentiments and that the depiction of the RSS and the Prime Minister, along with the comments, was a misuse of freedom of speech. The court further added it was apparent that it was a deliberate and malicious attempt to outrage religious feelings and Malviya "clearly overstepped the threshold of freedom of speech and expression". The High Court emphasized the necessity of custodial interrogation due to the nature of the content and the intent inferred from it.

Malviya's counsel, Vrinda Grover, argued before the Supreme Court that the cartoon was created in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also pointed out that the offense carries a maximum punishment of three years. The Supreme Court bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi agreed to list the matter for hearing on July 14.

The High Court stated that the post becomes more unsettling when the derogatory lines involving Lord Shiva are also added to it, and which have also been favourably endorsed by the applicant himself who is also encouraging other people to experiment with the said caricature, which certainly cannot be said to be made in good taste or faith.

The case raises important questions about the limits of free speech and expression, particularly in the context of political satire and religious sentiments. The Supreme Court's decision on Malviya's anticipatory bail plea will be closely watched, as it could have significant implications for artistic freedom and the right to criticize public figures in India.