Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma has again approached the Supreme Court of India praying that the first information reports (FIRs) registered against her in different parts of the country for her remarks on Prophet Muhammad, be transferred to Delhi.
Nupur Sharma had sought to renew her plea that was withdrawn after the Supreme Court had on July 1 refused to entertain it, while totally destroying her right to seek protection of the court.
The division bench of Justices Surya Kant and Justice Pardiwala slammed Nupur Sharma as arrogant and single-handedly responsible for the flashpoint like situation in India.
“The way she has ignited emotions across the country. This lady is single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country. 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,” Justice Kant said.
These comments seem to be the Supreme Court’s response to Nupur Sharma’s first or the original prayer in her petition of July 1 which sought to have the Supreme Court order quashing of the FIRs against her.
A second or alternative prayer in case the court was not inclined to quash the FIRs, was to consolidate the FIRs.
What seems to be a premeditated outburst against Nupur Sharma, the judges ended up inviting an open letter to their Chief Justice by more than 120 former luminaries of Indian establishment – 15 retired judges, 77 retd bureaucrats & 25 retd armed forces officers asking the two judges to be sidelined.
Such was the ire in that open letter that it said the comments made by the two judges had “no rationale” and by making such an observation, the judges had virtually exonerated “the dastardliest beheading in broad daylight” committed in Udaipur.
The letter said, “the unfortunate comments have no parallel and are an indelible scar on the justice system of the largest democracy… forcing a petitioner by such damning observations, pronouncing her guilty without trial, and denial of access to justice on the issue raised in the petition can never be a facet of a democratic society…”
The letter had added “Such an approach deserves no applause and impacts the very sanctity and honour of the Highest Court of land.”
The threats against Nupur Sharma increased and the Muslim clerics and religious leaders and scholars – started blaming Nupur Sharma for the killings of two innocent Hindus – Umesh Kohle (in Amravati) and Kanhaiya Lal (in Udaipur), some not even condemning those who had carried out the killings.
Nupur Sharma faces 9 FIRs registered against her in four States – Delhi (1), Maharashtra (5), West Bengal (2) and Telangana (1).
- Pydhonie Police Station, Mumbai, Maharashtra (May 28)
- Cyber Cell Police Station, Hyderabad, Telangana (May 30)
- Mumbra Police Station, Thane, Maharashtra (May 30)
- Bhiwandi, Thane, Maharashtra (May 30)
- Kondhwa Police Station, Pune, Maharashtra (May 31)
- Narkeldanga Police Station, West Bengal (June 4)
- Delhi Police IFSO, New Delhi (June 6)
- Nanalpeth Police Station, Parbhani, Maharashtra (June 13)
- Amherst Police Station, Kolkata, West Bengal
Nupur, after having withdrawn her petition on July 1, again approached the Supreme Court to have the FIRs clubbed, to be heard in Delhi for self-evident security reasons and the matter was heard by the same division bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice JB Pardiwala on July 19.
This time, the court granted interim relief and ordered the application to be heard on August 10. Till then, Nupur Sharma cannot be arrested and should not be forced to answer to different jurisdictions in the country.
To read the Order dated 19 July, click here.
You can read the Order dated 1 July here.