Guwahati: In a significant development, the Supreme Court today offered a four-week shield from arrest to journalist Abhisar Sharma. The relief comes in response to an FIR lodged against him in Assam, stemming from a video he posted that was allegedly critical of the state government’s policies. A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh instructed Sharma to approach the Gauhati High Court to seek the quashing of the FIR.
The apex court’s decision also saw it issue a notice to the Centre, considering Sharma’s petition that challenges the constitutional validity of Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). This particular section deals with actions that could jeopardise the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.
The legal troubles for the journalist began after a private individual filed a complaint over a video on Sharma’s popular YouTube channel. In the video, Sharma had raised questions about a controversial decision to hand over 3,000 bighas of tribal land to a private entity, a move that has drawn public scrutiny. This case has once again brought to the fore the delicate balance between freedom of expression and the laws governing public discourse.
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