The Supreme Court will take up on January 23, a petition filed by journalist Rana Ayyub, challenging the summons issued to her by a Ghaziabad court in Uttar Pradesh over circulation of a controversial video.
Senior Advocate Vrinda Grover mentioned the matter today before the Bench of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha, seeking early listing on the same.
Grover requested the Bench to list the matter on the coming Friday, but the CJI directed it to be heard on January 23.
The Uttar Pradesh police had booked the journalist for circulating a video, in which an elderly Muslim man alleged that he was thrashed and asked to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Police said the video aimed at creating ‘communal’ unrest.
An FIR was lodged against Ayyub under Sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between groups on ground of religion, class etc), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious belief), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).