Remark against PM: SC clubs and transfers 3 FIRs against Congress's Pawan Khera to Lucknow
New Delhi/UNI: The Supreme Court in its order on Monday clubbed and transferred three FIRs against Congress leader and spokesperson Pawan Khera to Hazratganj Police station in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.
The Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chadrachud extended the interim protection from arrest to Khera until April 10 and said the Congress will be at liberty to apply for regular bail before the jurisdictional court.
The apex court passed the order after hearing Khera's plea seeking the clubbing of FIRs registered against him in various states for his alleged comments on Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
Congress leader Pawan Khera was arrested by the Assam Police and was stopped by the Delhi Police from boarding the plane at the airport in the national capital on Feb 23 after a request was received from the Assam Police to stop him in connection with the FIR pertaining to his alleged comment on Modi.
Earlier, the Assam Police had registered a case against the Congress leader in the Dima Hasao district.
Two separate FIRs have been registered against Khera in Varanasi and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.
Khera was booked in two states after he introduced 'Gautamdas' in PM Modi's name.
"We order an direct that the FIRs registered at Varanasi and at Assam shall stand transferred to PS Hazratganj. The ad interim order passed by this court shall stand extended till 10 April," the bench of the Supreme Court, headed by the CJI Dr Chandrachud said, in his order Monday.
The Solicitor General (SG) of India Tushar Mehta, a senior law officer of Assam, told the Supreme Court that we have no problem with clubbing of FIR. Let it be clubbed in Assam and let them probe the case.
Further, SG Mehta said the petitioner (Khera) never tendered an apology and did not even show remorse. Only his lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi had submitted an unconditional apology.
The CJI Dr Chandrachud, however, said this is the practice of taking into the record. It is the counsel who tenders the apology before the court.
Singhvi requested a transfer to Delhi since the incident took place in the national capital and if it can be heard on Monday.