The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Tripura Police not to take any coercive action against the three civil society members, including a journalist, in connection with an FIR lodged under the harsh UAPA provisions against them for allegedly bringing facts through social media posts about “targeted violence” against the minority community in the State.
A bench comprising Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justices AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli also issued a notice to the Agartala police on the plea filed by advocates, Mukesh and Ansarul Haq, and journalist Shyam Meera Singh against the lodging of the FIR.
The three persons, who were part of a fact-finding committee, have also challenged the Constitutional validity of some provisions of the UAPA, 1967 on the grounds that the definition of “unlawful activities” is vague.
The FIR took note of a tweet of one of the members of the civil society which had stated that “Tripura is burning”.
Recently, Tripura witnessed incidents of arson, looting and violence after reports emerged from Bangladesh that the Hindu minorities there had been attacked during
Tripura violence: SC directs police not to take any coercive action against 3 civil members
On November 11, the top court had taken note of the submissions of advocate Prashant Bhushan and agreed to hear the plea seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against the three civil society members.
Bhushan had said the two lawyers and the scribe have been proceeded against by the Tripura police under the UAPA for their social media posts and an FIR has been lodged and a notice under the CrPC has been issued to them.