The Supreme Court on Friday directed activist and former IAS officer Harsh Mander to file a reply to the affidavit submitted by Delhi Police alleging inflammatory and contemptuous speech by him during an anti-CAA protest in Jamia Millia Islamia University.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde adjourned the hearing till April 15.
The bench also comprising Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant granted liberty to the Delhi Police to file an affidavit regarding another video clip that showed Mander making an objectionable statement in a press conference addressed by him.
The Court said that if the police wish to put the speech on record, then an affidavit should be filed in this regard and its copy be furnished to the other party.
Senior advocate Dushyant Dave representing Mander told the court that he has himself seen the entire speech and it is neither contemptuous, nor instigating, nor disparaging.
Dave submitted that a small portion of the speech was clipped out from the complete speech to falsely portray him as an instigator.
“I’m a little concerned, a government who wants to shoot the messenger does not wish to take action against those whose speeches are actually causing unrest,” Dave said.
Appearing for the Delhi Police, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed Dave’s submissions and said he had come across more than one statement that was objectionable and brought disrepute to the judiciary.
Mander had earlier filed a plea in the top court seeking directions to the police to immediately register FIRs against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma for making inflammatory remarks that led to the Delhi riots.
However, Delhi Police filed an affidavit in the court and sought dismissal of Mander’s plea with “exemplary costs”.