Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea of 14 Oppn parties alleging misuse of central probe agencies

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The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea of 14 opposition parties led by the Congress alleging the misuse of central probe agencies by the BJP-led central government.

The plea alleged an alarming rise in the use of coercive criminal processes against opposition political leaders and other citizens exercising their fundamental right to dissent.

Besides the Congress, the parties that are part of the joint move are the DMK, RJD, BRS, Trinamool Congress, AAP, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), JMM, JD(U), CPI(M), CPI, Samajwadi Party and the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference.

The apex court said that laying down of general guidelines was not possible without facts of particular case. "Laying down general guidelines without having relation to facts of case will be dangerous."

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A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala said that asked the opposition parties to "come back to us" when "you have individual criminal case or group of cases".

Senior advocate A M Sighvi, appearing for the political parties, sought permission to withdraw the petition. "Learned counsel seeks permission to withdraw the plea at this stage. The petition is accordingly dismissed as withdrawn," the bench ordered. (With inputs from PTI)