SC to hear pleas challenging constitutional validity of sedition law

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Wednesday a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the sedition law.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli is likely to take up the matter for hearing.

Concerned over the enormous misuse of the colonial-era penal law on sedition, the top court in April last year had asked the Centre why it was not repealing the provision used by the British to silence people like Mahatma Gandhi to suppress freedom movement.

Agreeing to examine the pleas filed by the Editors Guild of India and a former Major-General S G Vombatkere, challenging the Constitutionality of Section 124A (sedition) in the IPC, the apex court had said its main concern was the "misuse of law" leading to rise in number of cases.

The non-bailable provision makes any speech or expression that brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India a criminal offence punishable with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.