Supreme Court Grants Temporary Reprieve to Journalist Abhisar Sharma
The Supreme Court has provided journalist Abhisar Sharma four weeks protection from arrest over an FIR filed against him by Assam police for a controversial YouTube video. While the Court refused to quash the FIR, it advised Sharma to seek redress from the High Court.
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The Supreme Court on Thursday granted journalist and YouTuber Abhisar Sharma a four-week reprieve from arrest following an FIR filed by the Assam police. The FIR, lodged on August 21, accuses Sharma of promoting enmity and endangering national sovereignty via a critical YouTube video.
The video alleged that the Assam government misappropriated 3,000 bighas of tribal land and engaged in communal politics. Represented by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, Sharma sought to have the FIR quashed, but Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh directed him to petition the High Court instead.
Despite denying the quashing relief, the Court allowed Sharma a four-week protection period to pursue the matter in the High Court. It also requested the Central government's input on Sharma's challenge to certain seditious legal provisions.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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