New Delhi, Feb 9: In a major relief to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and six journalists including Rajdeep Sardesai, the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed their arrest in connection with the FIRs lodged against them for their allegedly “misleading” tweets on the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally here on the Republic Day.
The apex court, in the proceedings lasting five minutes, granted protection from any possible coercive action by police of states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Karnataka to Tharoor as also Sardesai, Mrinal Pande, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath, Vinod K Jose and Anant Nath.
“Issue notice returnable in two weeks. In the meantime, there shall be stay of arrest of the petitioners,” the bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde noted in its order after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the lawmaker from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, expressed the looming danger of danger arrest.
When the bench said it was issuing notice in the matter, Sibal vehemently pleaded that an order with an effect that no coercive action be taken against them in the meantime be also passed.
The top court has issued notices to the Centre, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Karnataka governments on the pleas filed by Tharoor and others. On January 30, Delhi Police had filed a case against Tharoor, Sardesai and others.
Earlier, Tharoor and the six journalists were booked by Noida Police for alleged sedition, among other charges, over the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally in Delhi, officials had said. (PTI)
