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Journalism of Courage
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to offer any relief to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who had appealed against registration of criminal cases against him in Jharkhand for allegedly making inflammatory speeches targeted at north Indians.
Rohinton Nariman, Thackeray’s counsel, submitted that while the speeches were made in Mumbai, the Jharkhand authorities had no jurisdiction to register a case against him. But the Bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and Mukundakam Sharma noted that a case could be registered anywhere.
Jharkhand police had registered a case under Section 504 of the IPC (insult intended to provoke breach of peace) against the MNS leader for his alleged inflammatory speeches.
Also, the argument that his speeches were not inflammatory did not find any favour with the Bench. “Charges can be framed even on mere suspicion,” the court observed.
The Bench said there was nothing improper in the police registering cases when there were allegations that he had incited mobs by making inflammatory speeches.
