Maharashtra, Assam, Bengal, Bihar join Centre in SC bid to quash FIRs against CJP protesters
Here's the latest protest news from across India:
Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal and Bihar on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court seeking its nod to quash criminal cases registered in connection with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests in July, joining the Centre’s move to end the criminal proceedings arising from the agitation.
Adding to this, The Centre has shared no further FIR would be registered. (ANI) Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, mentioned the applications before Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, saying that separate applications had been filed on behalf of the four states where FIRs arising from the protests were required to be quashed.
Meanwhile, “We have also filed four different applications for different states where FIRs would require to be quashed. If the papers could be called for and all matters be listed at 2 pm,” shared Mehta.
Notably, The CJI, who heads the bench in the matter, agreed to take up the applications together but asked the states to ensure that the pleas were free from defects. “Okay! We will take them together. Please, make sure the applications are free from defects,” CJI Kant shared.
As per the latest buzz, The development comes a day after the Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of 13 FIRs registered in connection with the CJP-led protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and other parts of the capital between July 20 and 25. The Centre, through the Delhi Police, has also proposed registration of one fresh FIR against 2,873 persons who were prima facie reported to have “serious criminal antecedents”, with their individual roles to be investigated.
In further updates, The Centre has shared no further FIR would be registered in connection with the incidents covered by its application and invoked the Supreme Court’s extraordinary powers under Article 142 to seek quashing of the 13 cases.
On top of that, The move by the four states assumes significance as the CJP has been demanding withdrawal of criminal cases against protesters as part of the assurances it says were given by the Centre when its 36-day agitation was called off on July 25.
The issue of FIRs across states also came up before the Supreme Court after its July 28 order concerning the protests. On August 3, the court clarified that the order did not prevent the respective state governments from taking steps, in accordance with law, to close or withdraw proceedings arising from FIRs registered against student protesters.
Source: Hindustan Times