Sedition in India: Colonial Legacy, Misuse and Effect on Free Speech
Since its inception, Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, which punishes sedition, has been a tool in the hands of the state to curb criticism and dissent. It has been used by the colonial British government as well as by successive governments of independent India against political dissidents.
Six senior journalists Rajdeep Sardesai, Mrinal Pande, Anant Nath, Paresh Nath, Zafar Agha, and Vinod Jose and Shashi Tharoor, member of Parliament from the Congress, had been booked for “posting tweets and deliberately circulating fake news” about the death of a farmer during the farmers protests in Delhi on 26 January 2021.
Judicial independence as autocracy newindianexpress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newindianexpress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Munawar Faruqui s Imprisonment a Flagrant Disregard of Fundamental Freedoms : PUDR The denial of bail on the grounds that it may cause âlaw and orderâ problems calls into serious question the role of the police and judiciary in pandering to the Hindu vigilante groups.
Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui. Photo: Instagram/munawar.faruqui
Rights27/Jan/2021
New Delhi:Â The People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) has issued a statement strongly condemning the incarceration of comedian Munawar Faruqui, who has now spent more than three weeks in jail. Faruqui has been accused of hurting religious sentiments.
Two of Faruqui’s bail pleas have already been rejected, and while the Madhya Pradesh high court has reserved its order, it has said that “such people must not be spared”.
Why even CCTV cameras in police stations won’t guarantee justice for victims of custodial violence In the absence of clear legal mechanisms ensuring access and transparency, it will be impossible to hold the police accountable. A Delhi Police CCTV control room. | Prakash Singh/AFP
On January 27, the Supreme Court has called for responses from all states and Union Territories on its judgement ordering that CCTV cameras be installed in police stations to ensure accountability for torture and custodial violence. These directions, intended to further the fundamental right to life under Article 21, were passed on December 2 in Paramvir Saini v Baljit Singh. They also extended to the offices of investigative agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation, the National Investigation Agency and the Enforcement Directorate.
BBC News
By Geeta Pandey
Life in prison is expected to be tough.
But in recent weeks, jail authorities in India have been called out for being especially cruel to prisoners, particularly the government s critics who are described as human rights defenders by international rights groups.
Earlier this month, the Bombay High Court reminded officials of Mumbai s Taloja jail that they needed to show some humanity while dealing with the needs of inmates. We need to conduct workshops for jailers. How are such small items denied? These are all human considerations, Justices SS Shinde and MS Karnik said.
The small items here were spectacles that jailed activist Gautam Navlakha had been denied.