New Delhi, Mar 20 (UNI) Supreme Court in its order on Monday clubbed and transferred three FIRs against Congress leader and Spokesperson, Pawan Khera to Hazratganj Police station in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.
The Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dr Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chadrachud, also today in its order extended further the interim protection from arrest to Khera, till April 10 and said, Khera will be at liberty to apply for regular bail before the jurisdictional court.
The Apex court passed the order, after hearing Pawan Khera's plea seeking clubbing of FIRs registered against him in various states for his alleged comments on Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
Congress leader Pawan Khera was arrested by the Assam Police, and was stopped by Delhi Police from boarding the plane at the airport in the national capital on February 23 after a request was received from the Assam Police to stop him in connection with the FIR pertaining to his alleged comment on Mr Modi.
Earlier, the Assam Police had registered a case against the Congress leader in the Dima Hasao district. Two seperate FIRs have been registered against Khera in Varanasi and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.
The Apex Court in its order protected Khera from arrest till April 10 to seek regular bail from Lucknow court. Khera was booked by 2 state police after he introduced 'Gautamdas' in PM Narendra Modi's name.
"We order an direct that the FIRs registered at Varanasi and at Assam shall stand transferred to PS Hazratganj. The ad interim order passed by this court shall stand extended till 10 April," the bench of the Supreme Court, headed by the CJI Dr Chandrachud said, in his order Monday.
The Solicitor General (SG) of India Tushar Mehta, a senior law officer of Assam, told the Supreme Court that we have no problem to clubbing of FIR. Let it be clubbed in Assam and let Assam police probe the case.
The CJI Dr Chandrachud, however, said the first FIR is Lucknow. The practice is to club it to the place where first FIR was registered.
Further the SG Mehta said the petitioner (Khera) never tendered an apology and not even showed remorse. Only his lawyer, Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, had, submitted unconditional apology.
The CJI Dr Chandrachud, however, said this is the practice of taking into record. It is the counsel who tenders the apology before the court.
Dr Singhvi requested for a transfer to Delhi since the incident took place in Delhi and if it can be heard on Monday.
The SG said it was not an inocous statement. We want to see who was behind the statement. How can someone stoop to this level of bringing someone's parents.
UNI SM SY