SC refuses to stay Himachal police probe against Vinod Dua in sedition case

Date:

Share post:

Vinod Dua’s plea to grant him protection from arrest till the next date of hearing was heard by a three-judge bench, which held a special sitting on Sunday. This bench allowed the state police to continue with the probe.

The Supreme Court on Sunday sought the response of the Himachal Pradesh and central governments in a plea by journalist Vinod Dua seeking quashing of the first information report (FIR) registered against him in the state in connection with a video uploaded by him on YouTube criticizing the Centre’s implementation of the Covid-19 lockdown.

A three-judge bench headed by justice UU Lalit, which held a special sitting to hear Dua’s plea, granted him protection from arrest till July 6—the next date of hearing in the case.

However, the bench which also comprised justice M Shantanagoudar and justice Vineet Saran, allowed the Himachal Pradesh police to continue with the probe turning down Dua’s plea for a stay on FIR.

Dua has been ordered to cooperate with the investigation and said that the police will have the liberty to interrogate him at his residence in Delhi after giving a 24-hour notice.

Vikas Singh, Dua’s counsel, vehemently pressed for a stay on the FIR stating that allowing the probe to continue in a flimsy case like this one will send wrong signals.

Dua has been charged with grave offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sedition (section 124A), public nuisance (section 268), printing defamatory matter (section 501) and intent to cause public mischief based (section 505) on a complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ajay Shyam.

Dua submitted, critically analyses the failure of the government of India regarding the declaration of nationwide lockdown and the manner in which the same was implemented, in a video on March 30.

“If this kind of content can attract sedition, then half the country will be committing sedition. If what he has said is sedition, then only two (news) channels will work in this country,” Singh said.

The court, however, refused to stay the probe but sought a status report from the police regarding the probe.

A team of police from Himachal Pradesh had landed at Dua’s house on June 12 for serving a notice requiring his presence at Kumarsain Police Station in the state at 10am on June 13 for an investigation into FIR registered against him on May 6 for the contentious video.

Dua had approached the Supreme Court on Saturday submitting that he was shocked to see the police of Himachal Pradesh at his doorstep.

“The petitioner (Dua) suspects that all efforts are being made to somehow arrest him. Any arrest at this point of time, (on the) basis such frivolous FIRs would not only be a blatant infringement on the rights of the Petitioner but will also endanger his life due to the high risk to the health of people from the COVID-19 virus,” his petition said.

The Delhi Police had also registered an FIR against Dua on June 4 for his March 30 video. That FIR was, however, stayed by Delhi High Court on June 10.

“The petitioner also made a reference (in the video) to the politicization of the army’s attack in response to the Pulwama Attack and usage of the same in the last elections. There was nothing in the video which could be remotely termed to be criminal,” his lawyer had argued.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Newsletter Signup

TRENDING

Related articles from Tags

Emotional Marketing: The Weapon of Choice for India’s Right-Wing Politics

In an era where public opinion is shaped less by facts and more by feelings, emotional marketing...

Pakistan used Turkish Asisguard Songar Drones targeting Indian military bases

In the latest escalation along the Line of Control and beyond, Pakistan has reportedly deployed Turkish-made Asisguard...

26/11 Mumbai Attacks: Key Accused Tahawwur Rana Extradited to India

In a significant development in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused...

Machines That Think: Are We Ready for the Age of AGI?

In the rapidly evolving realm of technology, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) stands as both a beacon of...

From WhatsApp to YouTube: How Fake News Spreads Like Wildfire in India

In a country of over 1.4 billion people, information travels faster than light — but so does...

Myanmar’s Earthquake Tragedy Unfolds – Devastation and Resilience

In the early hours of March 28, 2025, a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar’s central region, sending...

Mystery Surrounds the Death of Pastor Praveen Pagadala: A Community Demands Justice

The sudden and tragic death of Pastor Pagadala Praveen Kumar has sent shockwaves across Andhra Pradesh and...

Is Ganga Water Safe for a Holy Dip? Latest Reports from Maha Kumbh 2025

The purity of the Ganga River’s water, especially during and after large gatherings like the Maha Kumbh...

TTD Enforces Strict Hindu Adherence Among Employees

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the renowned Tirupati temple, has recently taken a significant step...

US Election Results 2024: The Triumph of Donald Trump

In the 2024 US presidential elections, Donald Trump emerged victorious.

Atishi Marlena Singh succeeds Kejriwal as new CM of Delhi

Atishi Marlena Singh has been named the new Chief Minister of Delhi following Arvind Kejriwal’s proposal during...

Karnataka: Judge slams woman demanding huge alimony from ex-husband

A video which has gone viral on the social media shows, the High Court judge slam a...