Today, On 15th May, The Calcutta High Court instructed police to hold off on taking action against BJP’s Amit Malviya regarding his controversial Saraswati Puja tweet. The court’s intervention provides temporary relief as it assesses whether the tweet incited communal animosity. Malviya faces charges under Sections 153A and 505 of the IPC for promoting communal enmity and public mischief.
Today, the Delhi High Court addressed Sharjeel Imam’s bail plea in a case involving charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and sedition over his inflammatory speeches. The court has sought a response from the Delhi Police within two weeks and scheduled another hearing for April. Imam’s speeches at Aligarh Muslim University and in Delhi were perceived to instigate opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Despite arguing that he should be granted statutory bail, the trial court refused Imam’s plea, emphasizing the disruptive impact of his speeches on the 2020 riots in the national capital. He faces severe charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the UAPA. The statutory bail in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) allows for a maximum detention of 90 days, which can be extended to 180 days in terror-related cases under the UAPA. If the investigation is not complete at the end of this period, the court can release the person on default bail.
