Urination case: Accused's wife moves HC against NSA, notice issued to state

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday issued a two-week returnable notice to the state on a petition seeking that the stringent National Security Act (NSA) invoked against a person who allegedly urinated on a tribal man in Sidhi district be revoked.

A division bench of Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and justice Vishal Mishra served notices to the state and the Sidhi collector seeking their reply. The case has been listed for hearing on August 1.

In her writ petition, Kanchan Shukla stated that NSA was invoked unlawfully against her husband Pravesh Shukla, who has been in jail post arrest a day after the video showing him urinating on the tribal man surfaced on July 4.

Her plea said Pravesh Shukla was an activist of a political party and the opposition had created an atmosphere and narrative against him.

She also contended that her husband had not committed any serious crime barring some petty offences in the past.

She said in her plea that provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were available for the offence Pravesh Shukla has been accused of.

NSA, which was invoked on July 5, was against Article 21 (No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to a procedure established by law) of the Constitution, the plea said.