SC extends protection of Editors Guild members in FIRs against them in Manipur

At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, said the EGI members may be protected for some more time and the matter be sent to the Manipur High Court as done in other cases

The Supreme Court on Monday extended till September 15 its order asking the Manipur police not to take any coercive steps against four members of the Editors Guild of India (EGI) in connection with two FIRs lodged against them for alleged offences, including promoting enmity between two communities.

At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, said the EGI members may be protected for some more time and the matter be sent to the Manipur High Court as done in other cases.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Shyam Divan, appearing for the EGI, opposed the submission and said the matter be heard in top court as the FIRs have been lodged on the basis of a fact-finding report. “We will take it up on Friday,” the bench said, adding it will take up the reply of the state government on that day.

SC on immunity to senior officers  

Central government officers of the level of joint secretary and above can be probed and prosecuted without prior nod of the authorities in corruption cases with retrospective effect from September 11, 2003, the Supreme Court held on Monday.

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A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, in a unanimous verdict, ruled that its 2014 verdict, which had struck down a provision of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946 providing immunity to such officers in graft cases, will have retrospective effect.

The top court said the 2014 judgement will come into effect from September 11, 2003 when section 6(A) of the DSPE Act, which pertained to approval of the central government to conduct inquiry or investigation, was inserted into the DSPE Act. 

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