Supreme Court orders shifting all FIRs against Nupur to Delhi

PTI

New Delhi, August 10

The Supreme Court on Wednesday provided relief to suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma by clubbing all FIRs lodged against her across the country in connection with her remark on the Prophet and transferring these to the Delhi Police.

“Whatever view we have taken as a three-judge Bench in the Mohammed Zubair case and some other cases, we will follow,” said a Bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala, which ordered that the future FIRs against Nupur would also be transferred to the Delhi Police.

The three-judge Bench had on July 20 ordered the release of Zubair, co-founder of Alt News, on interim bail in all the FIRs lodged in Uttar Pradesh against him for alleged hate speech, saying “exercise of the power of arrest must be pursued sparingly” and transferred all the cases in UP to Delhi. The top court today extended the interim protection from any coercive action to Nupur till the probe was concluded by the Delhi Police’s Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit. It said the IFSO shall be at liberty to take assistance from other police forces to take the case to a logical end.

“Since this court has already taken cognisance of the serious threat to life and security of the petitioner (Nupur), we direct that all FIRs against her be transferred and clubbed for investigation to the Delhi Police.

“In particular facts and circumstances, we clarify and deem it appropriate that the investigation is carried out by the Delhi Police. The petitioner shall be at liberty to pursue her rights and remedies by approaching the Delhi High Court for quashing the current and future FIRs,” the Bench said.

The top court allowed Nupur to move the Delhi High Court for quashing FIRs lodged over her remark on the Prophet made during a TV debate show and said all future FIRs would also be transferred to the Delhi Police for investigation. It also refused the prayer of senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for the West Bengal government, seeking an investigation by a court-appointed SIT.

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