SC refuses to quash FIRs against TV anchor Amish Devgan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 7

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to quash FIRs against TV news anchor Amish Devgan for his alleged defamatory remark against Sufi sint Khwaja Moinuddi Chisti but said the protection from arrest given to him would continue if he cooperated with the investigation.

A Bench, headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar, also clubbed multiple FIRs lodged against Devgan in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana to Ajmer in Rajasthan.

Earlier, the top court had stayed the investigation into the cases related to the June 15 controversial telecast. Now, all the cases would be probed and tried in Ajmer.

Apart from quashing of FIRs, Devgan had sought clubbing of all cases against him for what he described as an “inadvertent mistake” of uttering “Chishti” in place of “Khilji”.

The Journalist had issued a clarification and apologised for the slip of tongue. Such errors can’t be treated as criminal offences, he had submitted.