SC to hear plea for quashing FIR against journalist Vinod Dua in Himachal Pradesh

A three-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit will on Sunday hear a petition filed by senior journalist Vinod Dua seeking interim protection from arrest in connection with various FIRs registered against him in many states alleging that he had incited communal violence in the country.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on Sunday a plea by journalist Vinod Dua seeking quashing of a sedition case filed against him following a complaint by a local BJP leader in Shimla over his YouTube show.

In a special hearing, a bench of justices U U Lalit, M M Shantanagoudar and Vineet Saran will hold the proceedings at 11 AM tomorrow.

The Delhi High Court had earlier stayed an investigation into a case against Dua in connection with his show on YouTube.

Shimla police had summoned him for questioning over a sedition complaint by a local BJP leader.

Like the complaint lodged in the national capital, the FIR registered against the senior journalist in Shimla is also over his YouTube show on communal riots in Delhi earlier this year.

According to the complaint, he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using "deaths and terror attacks" to get votes.

Dua has been charged under sections 124A (sedition), 268 (public nuisance), 501 (printing matter known to be defamatory) and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief) on the basis of a complaint last month by BJP's Mahasu unit president Ajay Shyam.

On Thursday, Dua was sent a notice asking him to appear before the police in Shimla. Himachal Pradesh police personnel arrived at his Delhi home on Friday morning to serve the notice.

In his reply to the notice, Dua said he cannot visit Kumarsain police station because of his health, age and the COVID-19 protocol for travel and quarantine.

BJP leader Ajay Shyam had complained that Dua made bizarre allegations on his 15-minute YouTube show on March 30.

The BJP leader alleged that Dua had instigated violence against the government and the prime minister by spreading false and malicious news.

On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court had stayed till June 23 an investigation into a similar case filed by a BJP spokesperson, Naveen Kumar.

The court had said there was an unexplained delay of nearly three months in filing the complaint.

PTI