Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, April 27: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Centre to respond to a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the sedition law by the end of the week.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice NV Ramana and justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli stated the final hearing in the case would begin on May 5 and that no plea for delay would be granted.
“We direct the Centre to file reply by end of this week. Reply to the affidavit be filed by Tuesday. List the matter for final disposal without any adjournment on May 5,” said the bench.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court also stated that prominent lawyer Kapil Sibal will lead the petitioner’s arguments in the case. Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh stated during the hearing that PUCL’s plea had not been listed.
Concerned with the widespread abuse of a colonial-era sedition legislation, the Supreme Court asked the Centre in July last year why it was not deleting the clause used by the British to stifle activists like Mahatma Gandhi and crush the freedom movement.
The Supreme Court had said its main worry was the ‘misuse of law’ resulting to an increase in the number of cases when it agreed to hear the petitions filed by the Editors Guild of India and former Major-General SG Vombatkere contesting the constitutionality of Section 124A (sedition) in the IPC.
Notably, any act or expression that incites or seeks to incite hatred or contempt for the government constituted by law in India is a criminal offence punishable by a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under the non-bailable provision.
