Keywords: Protection from Arrest, Manipur Violence, Supreme Court, Fact-Finding Mission, Advocate
In a recent development, the Supreme Court has extended the temporary protection provided to Advocate Deeksha Dwivedi, who is facing charges of sedition and conspiracy to wage war against India in an FIR. The charges stem from her involvement in a fact-finding mission focused on the ongoing violence in Manipur. The court postponed the hearing for the day due to the absence of the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, who represents the State in the case. The next hearing is now scheduled for July 17, 2023.
During the court session, a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice Manoj Misra heard the plea filed by Advocate Deeksha Dwivedi. Dwivedi had been named in an FIR by the Manipur police, accusing her of sedition and conspiracy to wage war against India. These charges arose from her participation in a fact-finding mission and her involvement in a press conference organized by the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW). In the previous hearing, the Supreme Court granted her interim protection against arrest.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave represented Dwivedi in the case. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud suggested to Dave that they could extend the interim protection and allow him to approach the High Court, considering the absence of the Solicitor General. However, Dave highlighted that the High Court was presently closed, and the interim stay would only remain in effect until 5 pm on that day. Consequently, the Chief Justice issued an order stating that the Solicitor General of India represents the respondents and that the matter would be listed for Monday to consider their submissions. The interim order was extended until the next hearing date.
According to press reports, Annie Raja, a CPI leader, and Nisha Siddhu are also named as accused in the FIR, which was filed based on a complaint by an individual named S Liben Singh. The complainant took objection to the accused referring to the Manipur violence as “state-sponsored.”
Lisa Gupta, NUSRL, Ranchi, Semester 3, an intern under Legal Vidhiya
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