We take note of the affidavit of compliance filed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Government of U.P., Lucknow. He has averred in paragraph no. 9 of the affidavit that the Hindi typed complaint, on the basis of which the check FIR was registered, was produced by Khajan Singh, the first informant and it was reproduced in column 12 of the check FIR verbatim.

In paragraph no. 9 it is stated that after the receipt of communication of this Court's order from the Registrar (Compliance), directions were issued to the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mathura on 02.04.2026 to initiate a preliminary inquiry regarding name and honorific for the Former Union Minister.

It is said in paragraph no. 10 that Khajan Singh has stated that he was unaware of the protocol regarding use of honorifics for Members of Parliament or Former Union Ministers.

Mr. Anurag Thakur is an Hon'ble Member of Parliament and is entitled to the honorific.

It is to be noted that the honorific "Hon'ble" is to be appended to the names of constitutional functionaries who exercise sovereign functions of any of the three organs of the Government. "Hon'ble" is an honorific which no functionary, howsoever high, who is a civil servant and not the holder of a sovereign constitutional office, is entitled to use.

The Ministers of the Central and State Governments, the Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, the Speaker, the Chairman of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, respectively and likewise of the State Legislative Assemblies, the Members of Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies are entitled to the use of this honorific. There could be other similar functionaries who, according to the protocol, are entitled. Whosoever is entitled to the use of this honorific has to be addressed likewise.

Personal disgruntlement or familiarity with a family, who is entitled to an honorific, cannot permit the author of any communication to refer to a sovereign functionary of the Government, entitled to the honorific, to be referred to without it. This part of the matter stands closed.

A counter affidavit has already been filed on behalf of the State, in answer to the writ petition and another counter affidavit has been filed by Mr. O.P. Mishra, learned Counsel on behalf of respondent no. 3 in Court today.

Let the counter affidavit filed on behalf of respondent no. 3 be taken on record and numbered by the office.

Learned Counsel for the petitioners will file a rejoinder affidavit within a week.

Lay this matter as fresh again on 11.05.2026.