Abbreviation Arrest of Congress leader and head of its media and publicity department Pawan KhedaAfter that Offloaded from flight to RaipurAs for the allegedly indecent remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is yet another example of how criminal law can be misused to settle political scores. His lawyers managed to get an order from the Supreme Court that ensured his interim bail, but the episode highlights the cavalier use of the power of arrest under political direction. It is one thing to condemn a comment as offensive or hurtful, but it is another to read of offenses like making claims against national integration, hurting religious sentiments or creating enmity in society. It becomes a gross abuse of power if the police of a distant state travels to make an unwanted arrest on the basis of a complaint by a person who claims to have insulted someone. Assam Police, who had Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani arrested in April 2022 Tried to repeat this exercise against Mr. Khera, calling Mr. Modi a ‘Godse worshiper’ on Twitter and presenting him before a court in Assam, but was thwarted by the court. It is worrisome that the police in Bharatiya Janata Party ruled states act on complaints relating to incidents which have nothing to do with their jurisdiction, except in extenuating circumstances that it makes news in their geography as elsewhere. is reported in.
Unwarranted insinuations against political leaders are not uncommon when party spokespersons speak to the media, and Mr. Khera’s use of ‘Gautmadas’ as the prime minister’s middle name touched a raw nerve among Mr. Modi’s supporters. Maybe, who saw it as a sly reference. Allegations of his proximity to industrialist Gautam Adani. In fact, Mr. Khera had apologized for his remarks. Police often register cases for harsh and lewd remarks made against those in power. However, the need to arrest anyone in such cases is questionable. In most cases, as in the case of Mr. Khera, these remarks rarely fall within the category of serious offenses mentioned in the FIR. Malicious or threatening speech may warrant arrest, but harsh criticism or tasteless comments alone should not. Multiple FIRs in various jurisdictions and attempts to arrest those involved are usually part of a playbook for rulers in many states. Often lost in the controversy is the fact that effecting arrest on charges with a jail term of less than seven years flouts the norms of arrest. Such egregious violations will continue till the courts of law limit their protection to granting bail or registering FIRs instead of hounding the police officers and bureaucrats involved for their biased action.