The Supreme Court today directed the Central Government to file its response by the end of the week after hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Section 124-A (Sedition law) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana, and also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli, asked the Central government to file its response by the end of this week.

Advertisement

The Apex Court said, it would commence the final hearing in the matter on May 5 and would not entertain any request for adjournment of the matter.

“We direct the Central government to file its reply by the end of this week. Reply to the affidavit be filed by Tuesday. List the matter for final disposal without any adjournment on May 5”, the Bench of the Supreme Court today said.

The Court also noted in its order that Senior advocate Kapil Sibal will lead the arguments from the petitioner’s side in the matter.

During the course of the hearing, Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh today told the Supreme Court that the petition filed by PUCL (People’s Union for Civil Liberties) has not been listed.

The Bench then asked, “Do you want to solve the issue or all petitions to be listed? If you want to delay, it is on you”.

There is a batch of petitions filed before the Supreme Court challenging the Constitutional validity of sedition law.

The petitioners in the case are The editors Guild of India (EGI) and former Major-General S G Vombatkere and many others.

“This court’s main concern is the misuse of law, leading to a rise in the number of cases. We need to hear on this point and that too in a detailed manner,” the CJI said.

Section 124-A (Sedition law) of the IPC deals with any speech that brings or brings into hatred or contempt or disaffection towards the government established by law in India a criminal offence punishable with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Now, after the Centre will file its response to the case before the Supreme Court within a week, the SC will hear the case on May 5, for the final disposal of the case, and that too without any adjournment.

Former Union minister of IT, Arun Shourie also moved the Supreme Court on the issue and said that it is violative of Articles 14 and 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India.