Moving away from its earlier hard stance, the Supreme Court had protected suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma from arrest in all present and future FIRs for her alleged blasphemous comments against the Prophet as it took into account continuing grave threats to her life from many, including a ‘khadim’ of Ajmer dargah.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala, which had on July 1 had refused relief to Nupur with dismissive causticity while coldly asking her to approach the HCs concerned for quashing of each of the nine FIRs, agreed with Senior Advocate Maninder Singh that the aggressive threats from radical elements would obstruct her safe travel to various HCs to seek quashing of FIRs or seek pre-arrest bail.
Pointing to rise of life threats and issuance of a lookout circular by the Kolkata Police on July 2, Singh renewed his argument that she faced imminent arrest and her travel to West Bengal, where many FIRs have been lodged, would be fraught with grave danger to her life. Singh sought to revive the writ petition Nupur had withdrawn and pleaded with the bench to dispassionately decide the issue on merit in sync with the ruling of the SC in TT Antony case in 2001”. Singh said all the FIRs are based on her single statement during a TV debate on May 26.
The bench headed by Justice Kant said that “The petitioner ( Nupur) has now pointed out that it has become nearly impossible for her to avail the alternative remedy granted by this court (on July 1) and that there is an imminent necessity for this court to intervene and protect her life and liberty as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.”
