The Delhi High Court on April 24 cautioned that hatching a conspiracy against the Prime Minister amounts to treason and such allegations cannot be levelled irresponsibly without any cogent material.
Justice Jasmeet Singh made the observation while hearing a lawsuit by BJD MP Pinaki Misra against advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai over his allegedly defamatory remarks and statements, such as claiming that the MP and expelled Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra conspired against the Prime Minister.
“These are very serious allegations. You [Mr. Dehadrai] can’t be trigger happy. You are alleging serious allegations of conspiracy against the Prime Minister by a sitting MP,” the court said. “Conspiracy to target the Prime Minister is an offence under IPC. It is treason,” the court added.
Following the judge’s observation, Mr. Dehadrai and his counsel assured the court that he would not make further statements on Mr. Misra “conspiring” against the Prime Minister till the next date of hearing.
“Mr. [Raghav] Awasthi, who appears for the defendant (Mr. Dehadrai), assures the court that no allegation of the plaintiff being involved in any conspiracy against the Prime Minister will be made till the next date of hearing,” the court said.
The court further reminded that the Central Bureau of Investigation is already looking into the allegations, and the dispute between Mr. Dehadrai and Mr. Moitra is also pending before the High Court.
During the hearing, advocate Samudra Sarangi, representing Mr. Misra, said his client had not “targeted” the Prime Minister as was being alleged by Mr. Dehadrai.
“My party is ideologically aligned with the BJP and the Prime Minister,” Mr Misra’s counsel told the court.
“Prima facie, the allegation of conspiring against the Prime Minister is a serious allegation. The same tantamount to treason. The allegation of conspiring against the Prime Minister cannot be made irresponsibly and needs to be based on cogent and substantive reasons,” the court said.
The court has issued notice to two media houses and posted the case for further hearing in July.
