The Supreme Court on Thursday granted four weeks of interim protection from arrest to journalist Abhisar Sharma in connection with an FIR registered against him in Assam over a video post allegedly criticising state policies.
A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh directed Sharma to approach the Gauhati High Court to seek quashing of the case. The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint by a private individual who alleged that Sharma’s remarks in a YouTube video—where he questioned the allotment of 3,000 bighas of tribal land to a private entity—were objectionable.
During the hearing, the apex court also issued a notice to the Centre seeking its response on Sharma’s plea challenging the constitutional validity of Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), a provision dealing with acts that endanger the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.
The petition, filed through advocate Sumeer Sodhi, contended that the provision was vague and susceptible to misuse, thereby chilling free speech and journalistic expression.
The court’s interim order shields Sharma from coercive action for four weeks, providing him time to pursue appropriate remedies before the High Court.
