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Supreme Court orders immediate release of journalist Prashant Kanojia, pulls up UP Police

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Supreme Court

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Supreme Court today (Tuesday, June 11) ordered immediate release of journalist Prashant Kanojia, pulling up Uttar Pradesh (UP) police and the State of Uttar Pradesh for arresting him for tweeting against UP chief minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath.

The Court also made it clear that its order should not be seen as approval of Kanojia’s social media posts.

A vacation bench of the Supreme Court,comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and Ajay Rastogi, was hearing a Habeas Corpus petition yesterday by Kanojia’s wifeJagisha Arora, challenging his arrest on Saturday.

The Bench said “liberty of a citizen is sacrosanct and non-negotiable” and that “it is guaranteed by the constitution and it cannot be infringed”.

“Normally we don’t entertain these type of petitions. But a person can’t spend 11 days in jail,” the Supreme Court said.

“It is made clear this order is not construed as an approval of tweets,” the Supreme Court said.

Granting bail to Kanojia, the court said Right to Liberty, a fundamental right, is non-negotiable. “We may disapprove these tweets but we disapprove the denial of liberty,” the top court said.

Justice Banerjee asked how an arrest could be made over tweets, to which the public prosecutor replied that Kanojia had made provocative tweets against gods and religion on previous occasions and therefore offence of public mischief under Section 505 of IPC was added in the list of charges.

Also Read: Esha Deol and Bharat Takhtani welcome their baby girl, name her Miraya

Expressing dissatisfaction over the prosecutor’s remarks, the bench said that the Magistrate’s order of remanding Kanojia till June 22 was “not appropriate”.

Making some strong remarks against UP police and State of Uttar Pradesh, the court also turned down the submission of the State that the petitioner should approach the lower court or High Court for bail.

When the hearing began, Additional Solicitor General Vikramajit Banerjee appearing for Uttar Pradesh submitted that the remand order has been passed by the Judicial Magistrate and hence, Article 32 petition should not be entertained.

“Arrest? A citizen’s right to liberty has been infringed. We have gone through the records… These sort of tweets should not be made, but arrest?”, asked Justice Indira Banerjee.

Expressing shock at the 11 days’ remand for Kanojia, “June 22? He’s remanded for 11 days?” asked Justice Rastogi.

“Is this a murder charge?” demanded Justice Banerjee.

ASG argued that the challenge to the same has to be made in a lower court or High Court.

The court rejected the argument saying that the liberties under the Constitution are sacrosanct and the Court cannot shy away when “something is so glaring”.

“Court does not ordinarily entertain A.32 but the Article is there in Constitution for those whose freedom is affected. When something is so glaring, can court hold its hands and say go to High Court?”, asked Justice Banerjee.

Both the judges took exception to the incarceration of the Kanojia while also stating that what he tweeted might not have been appropriate.

“The Court need not comment on the contents of the tweets. The question is, should the petitioner have been deprived of his liberty over them. The answer to that is prima facie in the negative. Fundamental rights under Article 19 and 21 are non-negotiable.”

The Court, however, also made it clear that the State can proceed against Kanojia in accordance with law.

Also Read: Amitabh Bachchan’s twitter account hacked, Profile pic changed to Pak PM Imran Khan

“I believe in Constitution. I have fought this case. I am happy,” a visibly tired Jagisha Arora told reporters outside the Supreme Court, soon after the hearing.

Prashant Kanojia, a freelance journalist, was arrested by UP police in Delhi on Saturday for a tweet that had “objectionable comments” on Yogi Adityanath. He had shared a video on Twitter and Facebook where a woman is seen speaking to reporters of various media organisations outside Yogi Adityanath’s office, claiming that she had sent him a marriage proposal.

An FIR was lodged against Kanojia at Lucknow’s Hazratganj police station under Sections 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 500 (defamation) of the IPC, and Section 67 of IT Act (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) on a complaint filed by Sub-Inspector Vikas Kumar.

The same evening, the head of a private news channel and its editor were arrested in Noida. During a debate on the channel on June 6, the woman, whose video was shared by Prashant Kanojia, had allegedly made defamatory statements against Yogi Adityanath, the police said.

Two more people were arrested in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, the Chief Minister’s stronghold, on Sunday evening. According to a tweet by police, one man was arrested after a complaint against him was received on Twitter. He was arrested for posting “objectionable content” about the BJP leader.

The arrests over the weekend sparked a huge debate on social media on freedom of expression in the country, with the Editors Guild of India terming the journalists’ arrests “high-handed and arbitrary´ and amounting to “authoritarian misuse of laws”.

 

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Bollywood actor Neha Sharma campaigns for her father Ajit Sharma in Bhagalpur, Bihar

The Bollywood actor posted a video on her Instagram handle which showed her journey through various districts of Bihar, including Kishanganj, Banka, Purnea and Katihar. She was dressed in a traditional salwar kameez and was seen greeting and encouraging the public to cast their votes.

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Bollywood actor Neha Sharma’s recent participation in a roadshow in Bihar has taken the internet by storm. Sharma, known for her roles in films like Tum Bin 2 and Crook, was seen supporting her father, Ajit Sharma, who is contesting from Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seat on a Congress ticket. The roadshow came amid speculations that the actor might enter politics. But, it is now clear that she was just campaigning for her father.

neha sharma

The Bollywood actor posted a video on her Instagram handle which showed her journey through various districts of Bihar, including Kishanganj, Banka, Purnea and Katihar. She was dressed in a traditional salwar kameez and was seen greeting and encouraging the public to cast their votes.

The actor received a warm reception and love from a large crowd in Pirpainti and Kahalgaon during her roadshow. She wrote on Instagram that it is said when someone gives one a place in their heart, then they live there forever. She said her heart is full of all the love and support she was receiving from the people. She thanked the people for the warm welcome she got in Pirpainti and Kahalgaon. Aapka pyar sar ankhon par.

Another video, circulating on social media showed the actor actively participating in her father’s election campaign in Bhagalpur. The election to the Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seat is set to take place in the 2nd phase on April 26. Ajit Sharma is representing the Congress and is up against JDU’s Ajay Kumar Mandal in this seat.

Earlier, there had been rumours and speculations that Neha Sharma might join politics. But many reports have clarified that she is not making her political debut yet. The Bollywood actor had been offered the opportunity to join politics by her father Ajjit Sharma but she is currently focusing on her acting career.

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Education

Farmer’s son Nilkrishna Gajare Nirmalkumar from Maharashtra scores 100 NTA score in IIT-JEE Mains 2024

Nilkrishna Gajare’s father is a farmer and had to discontinue his own education after Class 12 as he faced financial difficulties. Gajare faced financial challenges growing up. However, his unwavering dedication and strategic approach to preparation set him apart from the crowd.

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Nilkrishna Gajare, who hails from Maharashtra’s Washim, achieved an extraordinary feat by securing a perfect score of 100 in the JEE Main 2024 examination. His journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of success is a source of inspiration for many people.

Nilkrishna Gajare’s father is a farmer and had to discontinue his own education after Class 12 as he faced financial difficulties. Gajare faced financial challenges growing up. However, his unwavering dedication and strategic approach to preparation set him apart from the crowd, which resulted in his remarkable achievement of emerging as topper of one of India’s toughest Engineering entrance exams.

Nilkrishna Gajare had a strategic plan that helped him succeed in IIT-JEE 2024. According to Nilkrishna persistence is important and one should never stop trying until they understand a topic. He said being curious and asking questions are important traits of a good student.  He said one should not be ashamed of asking questions.

Nilkrishna spent around 10-15 hours every day studying on his own for the JEE Main exam. He mentioned that he used his class notes for Physics and Physical Chemistry. For organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry, he relied on both notes and practice questions.

As for Mathematics, he believed that practicing regularly was the most important thing for him. Other interests of Nilkrishna include archery. He has participated at both state and national levels, and he finds joy in the sport.  He said archery helps him understand the importance of focusing his attention on his goals. Nilkrishna likes watching movies and said they are a great source of enjoyment and relaxation.

He likes to watch a movie after exams and occasionally treats himself to one each week too. Gajare aims to keep up the pace for the JEE-Advanced exam and hopes to get into the IITs. He said he wants to secure admission in IIT-Bombay in the computer science branch.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Lok Sabha elections: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav files nomination from Kannauj

The Samajwadi Party has announced Akhilesh Yadav as its official candidate for the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat today

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Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, submitted his nomination for the Kannauj Lok Sabha constituency ahead of tomorrow’s second round of voting. In front of Ram Gopal Yadav and other party leaders, the chief of the SP, who had previously contested the seat in 2000, 2004 and 2009, submitted the nomination.

Speaking with media, Ram Gopal Yadav said that SP would win the seat by a huge margin. The BJP candidate might lose his deposit in the seat, he said.

The Samajwadi Party has completely reversed its earlier plan to field former Mainpuri MP Tej Pratap Singh Yadav as their candidate, which is a significant political development.

Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav told reporters, people will find out when the nomination takes place, in reference to the speculations that he will contest for the seat. The historic victory of Kannauj is the subject of inquiry.

The former chief minister continued, the people have decided that the India bloc is coming as the future and the BJP will be history in this election.

Notably, elections for the Kannauj seat are scheduled for May 13, which would intensify the political drama that is now playing out in Uttar Pradesh. Previously regarded as the Samajwadi Party’s stronghold, the seat was lost by the party in the 2019 election when Subrat Pathak of the BJP won with a resounding victory.

The candidates competing for the following Uttar Pradesh seats will find out their destiny in the second round of voting, which is scheduled for tomorrow, Amroha, Meerut, Mathura, Baghpat, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, and Bulandshahar.

Notably, two Bollywood celebrities running as BJP candidates in the second round are Hema Malini from Mathura and Arun Govil from Meerut. There are 91 contestants from UP competing in the second phase.

The seats in Gautam Buddha Nagar and Mathura are up for grabs, with a maximum of 15 applicants per seat. In Bulandshahr, six candidates are vying for the presidency. There are twelve contenders running in Amroha, eight in Meerut, seven in Baghpat, and fourteen in Ghaziabad and Aligarh.

1,67,77,198 votes will decide these candidates’ fates.

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