Anushka Sharma-
Published on: November 30, 2021 at 10:42 IST
The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Biplab Kumar Deb-led BJP government on a Petition accusing the state police of acting in a partisan manner and seeking a Court-monitored SIT probe into the alleged communal violence in the north-eastern state, which has been on its constitutional radar for more than a fortnight.
A Bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and A S Bopanna issued notice to the Tripura government on a PIL filed by Ehtesham Hashmi, who accused the Tripura police of investigating the communal violence in a political manner through Counsel Prashant Bhushan.
Bhushan claimed that while the Police were busy bringing cases under the UAPA against lawyers and journalists for publishing ground reports on communal violence and making social media posts about “Tripura burning,” they were not registering FIRs on complaints from victims of communal violence. According to the lawyer, an impartial probe is urgently needed, preferably by a SIT established by the Supreme Court.
There had been a rush of petitions before the Apex Court a fortnight before the recently concluded local body elections, which it had examined and granted required decisions.
On November 17, a bench consisting of CJI N V Ramana, Justices Chandrachud and Surya Kant granted protection from arrest to a CPI (ML) member, a human rights activist, and a journalist who challenged the slapping of UAPA charges against them for social media posts describing communal violence in the state as “Tripura is burning” and sought a more restrictive interpretation of “unlawful activities” under UAPA to curb its rampant misuse.
Tripura police stated they have taken action against a number of social media accounts for falsely reporting that mosques in the state had been burned down when this was not the truth.
On a TMC plea alleging that it was being targeted by ruling party cadres, the Court led by Justice Chandrachud refused to postpone the elections two days before the November 25 municipal body elections, but instead directed the state to fulfill its duty in a “non-partisan way.”
To put an end to the TMC’s complaint it had issued a draft of directives to ensure that elections were held in a free and fair manner.
On November 24, the Court led by Justice Chandrachud asked the Centre to deploy two more companies of central paramilitary troops in Tripura as soon as feasible in order to maintain law and order in the state during the polls.