Relief for Nupur Sharma as SC grants her interim protection from arrest

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted protection from arrest to former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma till the next date of hearing. She had moved the apex court seeking protection from arrest as well as revival of her plea for clubbing of FIRs lodged over her remarks on Prophet.

The top court also issued notices to states like Delhi, West Bengal, and Maharashtra on her plea and, as an interim measure, granted her protection from arrest. The court will take up the matter for further hearing on August 10.

“The concern of this court is how to ensure that the petitioner is able to avail the alternative remedy as permitted by this court. In order to explore such modalities, let notices be issued to all respondents,” the court said, while granting relief to Nupur Sharma.

Nupur Sharma had made Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana, West Bengal, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Assam parties in her petition where FIRs have been lodged against her.

The former BJP spokesperson had also sought expunction of adverse remarks made by a vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala against her on July 1, saying she has been receiving death threats after the criticism.

On July 1, the SC not only refused to grant relief to Sharma but also came down heavily upon her for her televised remarks.

Taking exception to her comments, a vacation bench said, “We saw the debate on how she was incited. But the way she said all this and later says she was a lawyer, it is shameful. She should apologise to the whole country. She is single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country.”