Cancel FIRs for posters against vaccine export, says Delhi lawyer in SC plea

A Delhi-based lawyer has filed public interest litigation in the Supreme Court to quash over two dozen criminal cases lodged against people alleged to have put up posters in Delhi criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the shortage of Covid-19 vaccine doses in the country

A Delhi-based lawyer has filed public interest litigation in the Supreme Court to quash over two dozen criminal cases lodged against people alleged to have put up posters in Delhi criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the shortage of Covid-19 vaccine doses in the country.

FILE PHOTO: Television journalists are seen outside the premises of the Supreme Court in New Delhi, India, January 22, 2020. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo (REUTERS)

Lawyer Pradeep Kumar Yadav said the arrests were “illegal” and asked the top court to direct the police chiefs of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh not to register any more first information reports (FIRs) and produce the records relating to the FIRs already registered.

Most of the FIRS invoke section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of any disease dangerous to life), section 34 (common intention) besides provisions of other laws such as Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, Delhi Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Act.

Yadav’s petition said at least 25 FIRs have been registered in connection with posters that surfaced across the national capital “questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the vaccination policy in a sarcastic tone.”

It said most people persons arrested by the Delhi Police were daily wagers or jobless youth who were hired to put up posters and banners across the city that said, “Modiji hamare bachhon ki vaccine videsh kyun bhej diya (PM Modi, why did you send the vaccines meant for our children to foreign countries)”.

The arrest had triggered a sharp attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre and the Delhi Police from opposition parties. On Sunday, the Delhi Police said their probe revealed that Aam Aadmi Party workers printed and pasted the posters in south, west and east Delhi.

Durgesh Pathak of the Aam Aadmi Party dared the Centre to arrest him, saying that he and his party had posted the posters across the city. Leaders of the rival Congress also challenged the government to arrest them. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared a digital copy of the poster on his Twitter account and said: “Arrest me too”. Rahul Gandhi’s party called the police action an attempt by the Modi government to muzzle criticism. Party spokesperson Pawan Khera said the Congress will ask the question on behalf of the lakhs of people who died before their time or were living in “worry, tensions and sorrow”.

The petition filed in the Supreme Court said the police action was contrary to the Supreme Court’s recent direction restraining the police from registering criminal cases against people for seeking medical help over social media. Police said most of the people arrested in cases related to the posters had been released on bail.