Last Update: March 19, 2023, 15:04 IST
Earlier, on February 27, the apex court had extended protection from arrest to Khera. (Representational Image: Reuters/File)
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Friday adjourned the hearing on Khera’s plea till March 20 as senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for the Congress leader, was unavailable.
The Supreme Court will on Monday hear Congress leader Pawan Khera’s plea seeking transfer and addition of FIRs lodged against him in Assam and Uttar Pradesh for allegedly making objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Friday adjourned the hearing on Kheda’s plea till March 20 as senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for the Congress leader, was unavailable.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh and Assam, urged the bench that the matter may be heard on Monday instead of Friday.
“Okay, we will take it up on Monday,” said the bench, also comprising justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala.
The apex court had earlier extended till March 17 the interim bail of Kheda, arrested by the Assam Police in the case.
Earlier, the Assam and Uttar Pradesh governments, in their separate affidavits, had opposed Khera’s plea seeking clubbing of the FIRs lodged against him, claiming that his party was still The social media accounts continue to be on “a very low level”.
The Uttar Pradesh government sought dismissal of the petition with costs, terming it “misconceived” and an “attempt to circumvent the regular process available under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)”.
“It is submitted that the leader of the political party (Congress) to which the petitioner (Kheda) belongs, has continued to maintain a very low profile in his official Twitter handle and other social media accounts,” the Assam government said.
Earlier on February 27, the apex court had extended protection from arrest to Kheda.
The Congress spokesperson was arrested at the Delhi airport in connection with his alleged remarks against Modi at a press conference in Mumbai on 17 February, when he was being deboarded from a plane that was supposed to take him to Raipur.
He had sought bail from a magistrate court here on February 23 after a CJI-led bench had granted him interim bail during an urgent hearing a day earlier.
“To enable the petitioner (Kheda) to apply for regular bail before the Court of Justice, on transfer of the FIR to a jurisdiction, we direct that the petitioner be released on interim bail by the Court of Competent Magistrate at Delhi Will be done where he is to be produced today evening,” the apex court had said.
“The above order shall remain in force till February 28,” it had said.
The top court, which listed the matter for hearing on February 27, issued notices to Assam and Uttar Pradesh on Khera’s plea to transfer and club together three separate FIRs lodged against him in the two states. But the answer was sought.
After recording the order, the CJI had apparently expressed his displeasure over Khera’s remarks and said: “We have protected you (Khera), but there should be some level of dialogue.” Their face value, as reflected in the FIR, does not constitute any offense punishable under the sections invoked.
He also told the apex court that Kheda has already tendered an apology for his remarks and the offenses alleged against him in the cases do not require arrest.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the state of Assam, played the defamatory video in the court and claimed that Kheda’s statement on Modi was a “deliberate attempt to defame a constitutional functionary”.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)