Scribe journalist, Vinod Dua who was slapped with charges of sedition on grounds of posting serious allegations aimed at PM Narendra Modi, was granted protection from arrest by the Supreme Court of India.The apex court directed that Dua should not be arrested till July 15,and also refused to give more time to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the state to submit records to strengthen the ‘Sedition’ charge against the journalist.
Justice U U Lalit directed the police to submit all records of the probe in a sealed cover, adding that it will not keep the matter pending and will wrap it up on the next date of hearing on July 15.
Dua has been charged under sections 124A (sedition), 268 (public nuisance), 501 (printing matter known to be defamatory) and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief) on the basis of a complaint filed by BJP’s Mahasu unit president Ajay Shyam in May. The BJP leader claimed that Dua made baseless allegations on his 15-minute YouTube show on March 30 where he allegedly accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using “deaths and terror attacks” to get votes and publicity.
Dua maintained his stand in the court that his video was a critical analysis of the failure of the central government on multiple-facets.The video also “mentioned” the “politicising” of the cross-LoC strike “during the last elections”.
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