NEW DELHI: Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled that “no coercive action” may be done against banned BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma till the next hearing date in connection with the complaints made against her in other states for her statements against the Prophet during a televised debate show.
The top court added that it never intended for the BJP leader to seek remedy in every court in the proceedings against her for hate speech. In light of subsequent events, this court is concerned with securing the petitioner’s access to alternative redress. A bench composed of Justices Surya Kant and J. B. Pardiwala observed, “Therefore, notice is given to evaluate this approach.”
On account of Nupur Sharma’s petition, the bench issued notifications to the states in which FIRs and complaints had been lodged against her and set August 10 as the date for hearing the case.
The same bench rejected her petition on July 1, stating that she had a “loose tongue” and is “solely responsible for what is occurring in the country,” including in Udaipur, where a tailor was stabbed to death in June for allegedly spreading her comments.
In this regard, we are rectifying. “We did not intend for you to be required to travel everywhere,” the court stated on Tuesday.
Senior counsel Maninder Singh, who represented Sharma, asked permission from the apex court on July 1 to drop the appeal rather than have it rejected. The court permitted the petition to be withdrawn with the option to pursue alternative remedies.
Nupur Sharma filed a new petition for protection from arrest and consolidation of charges against her on July 18. I implore your Lordships. The threat is now actual and real, Singh claimed.
The bench inquired, “Have we correctly understood that you are willing to travel to one location of your choosing?”
Since the initial FIR was filed in Delhi, Singh said that Sharma must be permitted to contest it before the Delhi High Court. In addition, he asked the Supreme Court to halt all pending and future FIRs based on the same programme in which Sharma made offensive statements regarding the Prophet.
The Supreme Court bench noted that several incidents have occurred since its order on 1 July, including “one Salman Chisti, claiming to be Khadim of Ajmer Dargah, has circulated a video calling for the petitioner’s death; another person has circulated a video threatening to behead the petitioner; additional FIRs have been filed.”
The court added in its judgement that Sharma fears arrest since Kolkata police issued a watch circular against her.
