India

Supreme Court quashes sedition FIR against journalist Vinod Dua

The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed an FIR registered against journalist Vinod Dua last year for sedition and other offences.
The FIR was lodged by a local BJP leader in Himachal Pradesh over Dua’s YouTube show.
SC said police across India must scrupulously follow the law on sedition laid down 60 years ago by a 5-J SC bench in ‘Kedar Nath Singh vs State of Bihar’ case before lodging FIR and effecting arrests of journalists.
SC in Kedar Nath Singh case had ruled that sedition charges could not be slapped on a citizen for criticism of public measures or comments on government action, however strongly worded, as it would be consistent with the fundamental right to free speech and expression.
However, a bench of Justices U U Lalit and Vineet Saran rejected Dua’s plea for setting up of a high-level committee in each state to examine sedition charges slapped against journalists of 10 year standing.
On July 20 last year, the top court had extended till further orders the protection granted to Dua from any coercive action in the case.
The apex court had earlier said that Dua need not answer any other supplementary questions asked by Himachal Pradesh police in connection with the case.

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