SC asks states/UTs to decide on plea seeking to conduct yatras on poll awareness
The bench was told that such orders prohibit all kinds of assemblies, meetings and demonstrations during the duration of elections.
The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, granted interim bail to Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami in the 2018 abetment to suicide case.
A two-judge bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Indira Banerjee was hearing an appeal against the Bombay High Court denying the bail through video conferencing.
The court, during the hearing, said, “If courts do not preserve human liberty and if constitutional courts do not protect liberty, then who will?”
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The bench pulled up the Maharashtra government over Arnab’s arrest and said that the victim is entitled to a fair investigation and the investigation should go on.
The Maharashtra Police, last week, had arrested Arnab Goswami and two others in connection with the alleged suicide of architect Anvay Naik and his mother.
The hearing comes two days after Bombay High Court had turned down Goswami’s plea against his arrest and reopening of the case. The Court said he could take his bail request go to the lower court, which had to decide within four days.
The Mumbai Police said that Anvay Naik, who had worked on a project with Goswami, in his suicide note had named Goswami and two others for dues that he alleged were not paid to him. The case was closed two years ago, however, the case was reopened on the request of Naik’s wife.
The Police and Maharashtra government said in court that it was the duty of the state to protect the victim which are the Naiks.
Justice Chandrachud, referring to Goswami’s criticism of the Maharashtra Government said that governments should “ignore taunts on TV” as our democracy is “extraordinarily resilient.”
Justice Chandrachud added, “Our democracy is extraordinarily strong. The point is that governments must ignore this…the Chief Justice has said something very significant. He said we expect responsibility on all sides.”
The top court, granting bail to Arnab and three others said that Goswami must cooperate with the probe and said that the release of the three people arrested must not be delayed by two days and asked them to furnish bonds of Rs 50,000.
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