National

Court notice to Gujarat on Ashis Nandy’s plea

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Gujarat government on a petition filed by political analyst Ashis Nandy seeking a stay on his arrest and criminal proceedings pursuant to registration of First Information Report against him for his article in a national daily.

A vacation Bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice G.S. Singhvi posted the petition for further hearing on Tuesday. It asked the State government to provide details about the FIR against Mr. Nandy for the allegedly communal article.

Counsel for Gujarat Hemantika Wahi said the Gujarat High Court was already seized of similar petitions in which the quashing of five such FIRs had been sought by the Delhi-based scholar. This was denied by senior counsel V.K. Kanth, appearing for Mr. Nandy.

Mr. Nandy had moved the apex court as the Delhi High Court earlier refused to provide him interim protection against arrest and had only issued a notice to the Gujarat government.

He also sought quashing of the FIR lodged by the Ahmedabad police on a complaint filed by V.K. Saxena, president of an NGO, National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL).

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