Guwahati: The Supreme Court has granted interim protection to lawyer Deeksha Dwivedi related to the sedition charges against her linked to the fact-finding committee in Manipur.
It may be mentioned that Dwivedi had accompanied a fact-finding team to enquire into the recent violence in Manipur.
The Apex Court had ordered no coercive action against Dwivedi.
Dwivedi stated that she had accompanied a two-woman team from the National Investigation Forum for Women (NIFW) as an independent lawyer and observer in violence-hit Manipur.
However, the NIFW during the investigation reported that the violent incidents were “State-sponsored”. Subsequently, the NIFW held a press conference and disclosed the findings of the investigation to the media on July 1.
After the press conference, the Manipur Police on July 8 registered a first information report against Dwivedi and NIFW representatives.
They were charged with sedition, defamation as well as making assertions prejudicial to national integration.
While Dwivedi accompanied the team, she had not signed the NIFW press release. She highlighted this point at the top court.
Based on this, Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave who was appearing on behalf of Dwivedi, sought a stay on her arrest from the apex court.
The court has now listed the hearing of the case on July 14.