In a significant statement, the Delhi High Court has described any conspiracy against the Prime Minister as an act of sedition. This observation was made during the defamation case filed by BJD MP Pinaki Mishra against lawyer Jay Anant Dehadrai.
The court, presided over by Justice Jasmeet Singh, issued a summon to Dehadrai, emphasizing the gravity of accusations involving the highest office in the nation. The legal proceedings stem from allegations made by Dehadrai against Mishra, which include derogatory names and false accusations of corruption, labeling him as “Oriya Babu” and “broker of Puri.”
The High Court highlighted that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is already investigating the allegations made by Dehadrai. In court, Dehadrai’s lawyer assured that no further statements implicating Mishra in a criminal conspiracy against the Prime Minister would be made before the next hearing date.
Dehadrai defended his claims by stating he has substantial evidence supporting his accusations, which he has presented to the CBI. He claimed, “That man has conspired against the Prime Minister. I have placed the evidence on record, risking my life, to show what the conspiracy was. I won’t state it openly in court, but I will instruct my lawyer to show the court that these were not mere allegations.”
During the proceedings, Justice Singh expressed his concern over the serious implications of such accusations against the Prime Minister, stating, “You cannot make these claims. Look at what you’ve written, that a conspiracy was orchestrated, speeches were sponsored. You cannot say all this. Isn’t it your statement that he is conspiring?”
The court also noted the gravity of accusing a Member of Parliament of plotting against the Prime Minister, emphasizing the severity of charges against a sitting Prime Minister as being akin to an offense against the state.
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Dehadrai’s lawyer highlighted their argument based on the close association between Moitra and Mishra, but the court seemed unconvinced that this alone could substantiate the serious allegations made.
