Visually impaired eligible for appointment in judicial services: SC
In an important judgment, the Supreme Court on Monday held that visually impaired candidates are eligible to participate in selection for the posts under the judicial service
The Supreme Court on Monday reserved its order on a plea of Congress Rajya Sabha member Imran Pratapgarhi seeking the quashing of an FIR registered against him by a Jamnagar (Gujarat) resident accusing him of allegedly promoting communal disharmony by posting a video clip on his social media handle X with a poem “ae khoon ke pyase baat suno…” running in the background.
Reserving the order on Imran Pratapgarhi plea, a bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhutan observed that the poem was actually propagating a message of non-violence and it has nothing to do with religion or any anti-national activity.
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Observing that the police ought to have shown sensitivity before lodging the FIR, Justice Oka said, “This is the problem – now nobody has any respect for creativity. If you read it plainly it says that even if you suffer injustice, suffer it with love, even if people die, we will accept it.”
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The bench said, “75 years after the existence of the constitution, freedom of speech and expression at least now has to be understood by the police.”
Imran Pratapgarhi approached the Supreme court against Gujarat High Court ‘s January 17, 2025, order refusing to quash the FIR, observing that there was need for further investigation and that he had not cooperated with the investigation.
In the course of the hearing, the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta – appearing for Gujarat government – told the bench that social media is a dangerous tool and people must act responsibly,
During the hearing, Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Gujarat government, told the bench that social media is a dangerous tool and people must act responsibly.
Earlier on January 21, 2025, the top court had protected Imran Pratapgarhi from any coercive action. The court had directed the Gujarat Police not to take any step in pursuance to the FIR registered against the Congress parliamentarian.
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