SC gives relief to Shashi Tharoor, journalists; stays arrest for misleading tweets

New Delhi, February 09: Giving major relief to "liberals and intellectuals", Supreme Court stayed the arrest of journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in the probe for allegedly sharing fake news to instigate people during the tractor rally.

 

 

While hearing the case Bench of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde issued the notice in the plea filed by Tharoor and the others seeking quashing of the FIRs filed against them for allegedly "misreporting" and "spreading disharmony" over tweets and reports on the ongoing farmers' protests. Their petitions will be considered in two weeks by the bench.

 

The FIR was lodged in five states against them for misleading tweets and instigating people for violence. The cases name Tharoor and journalists Rajdeep Sardesai, Mrinal Pande, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath, Anant Nath, and Vinod K Jose.

 

 

 

The FRI has filed under the sections of the 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 153B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 298 (Uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person], 504 [Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (Criminal Intimidation), 505(2) (Statements conducing to public mischief), 124-A (Sedition), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 120-B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code besides Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

 

The FIR stated that the accused spread 'Hoax news' about protester Navreet Singh’s death in Delhi on January 26 by blaming Delhi Police to “instigate violence”. Navreet Singh died of head injuries when his tractor toppled after hitting a police barricade. The post mortem ruled out any bullet injuries.