In a recent development, the Supreme Court has granted interim protection from arrest to advocate Deeksha Dwivedi, who is facing charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including sedition and conspiracy to wage war against India.
The charges were filed against her by the Manipur police in connection with her participation in a fact-finding mission and subsequent press conference organized by the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW).
Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave, representing Deeksha Dwivedi, filed a petition under Article 32 of the Constitution before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, seeking protection for his client. During the hearing, Dave highlighted that Dwivedi is a member of the bar with four years of practice and that she had taken part in the fact-finding mission as part of a three-member team associated with the Communist Party.
Chief Justice Chandrachud acknowledged Dwivedi's status as a member of the bar and instructed the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, to obtain instructions regarding the FIR. The Chief Justice emphasized that Dwivedi should not be arrested in the meantime. Solicitor General Mehta noted that the High Court of Manipur is accessible for such matters, citing a previous case argued by Colin Gonsalves. However, the court decided to grant interim protection to Dwivedi for a short period.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice Chandrachud, passed an order stating that Dwivedi should not be subjected to any coercive action until 5 PM on Friday. The court requested Senior Counsel Siddharth Dave to provide a copy of the petition to the counsel assisting the Solicitor General of India.
The FIR against Dwivedi was lodged based on a complaint filed by S Liben Singh, who objected to the accused labeling the Manipur violence as "state-sponsored." The FIR also names Annie Raja, CPI leader and General Secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women, and Nisha Siddhu as other accused individuals.
In a separate matter related to the Manipur violence, the Supreme Court urged restraint from the warring ethnic groups during the court proceedings. The court was hearing a batch of petitions, including those filed by various NGOs and the Manipur Tribal Forum, which sought Army protection for the Kuki tribe and challenged the high court's order designating the Meitei community as a Scheduled Tribe.
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