"We Don't Want To Bypass High Courts, Wrongdoers Must Face The Law": Supreme Court

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Today, On 2nd December, The Supreme Court granted temporary relief to the YSRCP social media in-charge, allowing him to approach the High Court over multiple FIRs filed against him. The FIRs allege his involvement in derogatory online posts targeting Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and his family. The Court emphasized, “We do not want to bypass the High Courts, and they are Constitutional courts. If wrong is done, they must face the law.” The petitioner’s arrest has been stayed for two weeks to enable him to seek further legal recourse.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court directed Sajjala Bhargava Reddy, the social media in-charge of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), to seek relief from the Andhra Pradesh High Court regarding multiple FIRs filed against him.

These FIRs allege that he organized defamatory and obscene social media posts targeting Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his family.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan declined to hear Reddy’s plea against the criminal cases directly but granted him a two-week period of protection from arrest to allow him to approach the High Court.

The bench emphasized the importance of High Courts, stating,

“We do not want to bypass the High Courts, and they are Constitutional courts. We have no sympathy for anyone, and if wrong is done, they have to face the law.”

Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra, representing the Andhra Pradesh government, contended that the High Court previously denied Reddy interim relief and described Reddy’s actions as “unforgivable,” asserting that the state was justified in taking legal action against him.

Luthra also noted that Reddy had failed to disclose to the Supreme Court that he had already obtained interim protection in one of the cases.

In response, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Reddy, argued that he was experiencing harassment due to the multiple FIRs, with four additional FIRs filed as recently as Friday. He requested the court to ensure Reddy’s protection from arrest.

The Supreme Court, acknowledging the arguments presented, disposed of the plea by granting Reddy a two-week interim protection from arrest, allowing him to seek appropriate relief from the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution. The court clarified that it had not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case.