SC grants 4-week protection to journalist Abhisar Sharma in Assam FIR
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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday granted journalist Abhisar Sharma a four-week interim protection in connection with an FIR lodged against him in Assam over a video post allegedly critical of the state’s policies.
A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh, while providing the interim protection, directed Sharma to approach the Gauhati High Court to seek quashing of the FIR.
Additionally, the apex court issued a notice to the Centre, seeking its response on Sharma’s petition challenging the validity of Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.
The plea, filed through advocate Sumeer Sodhi, stated that the FIR was registered based on a complaint by a private individual regarding a video posted by Sharma on his YouTube channel. In the video, Sharma questioned the decision to allot 3,000 bighas of tribal land to a private entity.
With PTI inputs