In a significant development on Thursday, the Supreme Court of India issued an interim order to stay the ongoing criminal proceedings against Swami Prasad Maurya, a prominent leader of the Samajwadi Party.
Maurya faced charges of allegedly disparaging the Shri Ramcharitmanas, a revered Hindu epic, and inciting the public to desecrate it.
The bench, led by Justice B.R. Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, challenged the basis of the allegations during the hearing. “Why are you so touchy about these things? It is a matter of interpretation. It is a line of thought. How is it an offence? He (Maurya) cannot be held responsible for burning of copies,” the bench remarked to the Additional Advocate General Sharan Dev Singh Thakur, who represented the Uttar Pradesh government.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the special leave petition submitted by Maurya, subsequently issuing notices to both the Uttar Pradesh state government and the original complainant. This individual had initially filed an FIR against the SP leader, sparking the legal proceedings.
Further, the court ordered the lower court proceedings to be put on hold, granting a four-week period for the return of the notice.
This decision follows the Allahabad High Court’s October 2023 dismissal of Maurya’s plea, which challenged both the charge sheet and summons issued by the Special Judge. The High Court had previously stated that the available evidence prima facie justified Maurya’s trial in the lower court.
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had also remarked on the matter, emphasizing that public representatives should avoid actions that could disrupt communal harmony.
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The controversy centers around allegations made by lawyer Santosh Kumar Mishra, who claimed that Maurya’s actions led to protestors burning copies of the Ramcharitmanas. This epic, based on the Ramayana and written by 16th-century poet Tulsidas, holds significant religious and cultural importance in Hinduism.
Following Mishra’s complaint, the City Kotwali police in Pratapgarh registered an FIR on February 1 last year against Maurya, SP MLA Dr. R.K. Verma, and several others. The charges, framed under Sections 153, 295, 298, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, include accusations of promoting enmity, hurting religious feelings, and making statements conducive to public mischief.
