New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the arrest of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor as also of senior journalists Rajdeep Sardesai, Mrinal Pande, Zafar Agha, Vinod Jose, Anant Nath and Paresh Nation in connection with the multiple FIRs registered against them over their respective tweets and unverified report on a farmer's death on R-Day.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde issued notices on the petitions seeking quashing of the FIRs registered in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, for allegedly sharing the unverified news about the death of a protester. (The death was attributed to a gun wound whereas the protestor died due to head injuries when his tractor overturned.)
An FIR registered in Delhi also accuses them of "posting tweets and deliberately circulating fake news."
Posting further hearing after two weeks, the Bench also directed the authorities not to take any coercive action against the petitioners.
Sardesai works for the TV channel India today while Mrinal Pande is the consulting editor of National Herald and former editor of Hindi daily ‘Hindustan’ of the Hindustan Times Group; Zafar Agha is editor of Herald's Urdu daily ‘Quaumi Awaz’. Paresh Nath, Anant Nath and Vinod Jose are associated with the news magazine ‘Caravan.’ The FIRs against them have been widely condemned by the press fraternity.
All these senior journalists and Shashi Tharoor had moved the Apex Court last Wednesday, praying that the "frivolous" FIRs be "cancelled."
When Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Tuesday pleaded for posting the matter the next day, the CJI said: "We are only issuing notice. This seems to be covered by another case."
The CJI asked the Solicitor General: "Are you going to arrest them till we hear you?" a stay of the arrest was ordered after the Solicitor General offered to make a statement that no arrest shall be made.
