A petition has been filed by Two minor children’s in Supreme Court seeking release of their father Sachin Choudhary, Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh, who has been detained by police for holding a press conference highlighting the infirmities in the measures taken by the state to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
The petition has been filed through Advocate Smarhar Singh in the Supreme Court on the ground that, there is no male member in the family and is landlocked along with mother and ailing grandmother.
Sachin Choudhary is in jail since 11th April 2020 in connection with an FIR registered under section 66A, 67 of Information and Technology Act, Section 188, 269, 270, 271, 124-A, 505, 153-A, 153-B of the Indian Penal Code and Section 56 of the Disaster Management Act for holding a press conference and questioning the methodology of the Chief Minister of the State in handling the epidemic i.e. CORONA
The petition states that “the father of the petitioner who is social worker extended hands of succor to these starved migrants when they reach near Delhi-Moradabad Highway. He provided them food etc. This Samaritan deed of Sachin Choudhary was widely appreciated and applauded by the public at large, thus giving impetus of his popularity and credentials as leader/ social worker. This has irked the local leaders of the ruling political party.”
Police authorities have also sent notices to the news reporters and journalists for attending and publishing statements of Sachin Choudhary and asked them to be present at the Police Station Amroha for recording their statement within 3 days after the receipt of the notice.
This may also be taken into notice that Sachin Choudhary has been also charged under Section 66A of the Information and Technology Act, despite the provision being struck down as declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of India in its landmark judgment- Shreya Singhal vs. Union of India 2015.
-India Legal Bureau