Supreme Court refers the issue of erecting a hoarding in Lucknow, naming and shaming anti-CAA rioters to a larger bench. The hearing on the issue will begin next week.
Bengaluru: Just a few days ago, the Allahabad high court had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to remove the hoarding erected in Lucknow, naming and shaming those who had vandalised public structure in the name of anti-CAA riots in the state.
But the Yogi government decided to challenge the high court’s order and knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court.
Today, the top court heard the case and decided to refer it to a larger bench.
The bench with two judges Justices UU Lalit and Aniruddha Bose heard arguments on both sides and expressed their views that the matter needs to be heard in detail by a larger bench. So they referred it to a 3-bench judge and the matter will now be heard in detail starting next week.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi who was appeared for former IPS officer S R Darapuri, whose name appears on the posters, argued while citing cases of child rapists and murderers that, “Since when and how do we have in this country a policy to name and shame them? If such a policy exists, a man walking on the streets or roads may be lynched”.
On the other hand, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who was appearing for the UP government said that a person wielding a gun during a protest and posing a threat to societal peace can’t have right to privacy.
The top court also refused to stay the Allahabad high court verdict.
It might be recalled that the Allahabad high court had held a hearing on a Sunday – a rare development – and ruled on Monday that such posters are an invasion in the private lives of others.
It had said, “In entirety, we are having no doubt that the action of the state, which is (the) subject matter of this public interest litigation, is nothing but an unwarranted interference in (the) privacy of people. The same, hence, is a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India," the high court bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Ramesh Sinha observed.
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