SC adjourns till April 15 hearing on plea over Harsh Mander's speech

The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned till April 15 hearing on a plea relating to the speech given by social activist Harsh Mander, in which he allegedly called the people to streets and expressed a lack of faith in the judiciary.

A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde asked Mander to file a reply on the police's affidavit on the alleged contemptuous speech by him.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Harsh Mander, told the court that the speech was neither seditious, neither disparaging nor inflammatory.

"An extract was made to make the court believe that he said something objectionable. Mander is not in India. We will file a reply. The government wants to shoot messenger, it's trying to browbeat. But it's not willing to take action against others who incited the mob," Dave told the court.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Delhi Police, said that they have found one more contemptuous speech by Harsh Mander.

On being told by the Solicitor General that police have filed an affidavit on the speech by Mander, Dave said he should also bring the same kind of affidavit against those who indulged in hate speeches which led to the deaths of 53 people.

The Supreme Court had on Wednesday slated to hear on Friday the matter related to the speech given by petitioner Harsh Mander, in which he allegedly said that he doesn't have faith in the judiciary.

Delhi Police, in an affidavit filed in the top court later the same day, sought contempt action against former bureaucrat and activist Harsh Mander saying his speech at Jamia Milia Islamia during anti-CAA protests not only instigated violence but also brings judiciary to disrepute.

This comes after at least 53 people, including IB officer Ankit Sharma and Police Head Constable Rattan Lal, lost their lives while around 200 people sustained serious injuries in the violence that raged for three days in north-east Delhi last week.