Supreme Court on Sedition Law The Supreme Court has stayed the sedition law. On Wednesday, the central government presented its side in the court. Tushar Mehta said that we do not know the seriousness of every sedition case. The Supreme Court has stayed the Sedition Law on Hold.
The court has ordered the central and state governments not to register any case under Section 124A of the IPC of the Sedition Act. The court also allowed the government to review the provisions of section 124A of the IPC.
However, the court said that till the sedition law is reviewed, the governments should not register any case under Section 124A or conduct any investigation into it.
The Supreme Court said that if cases of sedition are registered, those parties are free to approach the court for relief. Courts have to expedite such cases. The court said that the accused will continue to get relief. The next hearing on the petition challenging the provisions of the sedition law will be held in July.
It is worth noting that during the hearing on Wednesday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared on behalf of the Central Government in the court. Tushar Mehta said that serious crimes cannot be stopped from being registered. Withholding effect may not be the right approach.
Therefore, there should be a responsible officer for the investigation and his/her satisfaction is subject to judicial review. He further said that an SP rank officer can be made responsible for registering sedition cases.
'Need to trust the courts'
Tushar Mehta further said that we do not know the seriousness of every sedition case. Some of them can be related to money laundering or terrorism. The pending cases are before the court. We need to trust the courts. The Center told the Supreme Court that passing an order to stay the sedition provisions upheld by the Constitution Bench cannot be the right way.
Concerned over the misuse of the penal law relating to sedition, the apex court had in July last year asked the central government why it was not repealing a provision which was used by the British to suppress the freedom movement and silence people like Mahatma Gandhi used by.
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Then while issuing notices on the petitions, the court noted the alleged misuse of the provision. The Chief Justice had said, 'It is a colonial law. This was to suppress the freedom movement. This law was used by the British to silence Mahatma Gandhi, Tilak etc. Is it necessary even after 75 years of independence?'