Manipur: Supreme Court extends interim protection for woman advocate by four weeks

The apex court asked advocate Deeksha Dwivedi to approach Manipur High Court for regular bail

R. Balaji, TT, New Delhi, 18.07.23: The Supreme Court on Monday extended by a further four weeks the interim protection from arrest it had granted to a woman advocate in connection with the reported registration of an FIR by Manipur police against the members of a fact-finding team that had declared that the ethnic clashes in the state were the result of “State-sponsored” violence.

The apex court, however, asked advocate Deeksha Dwivedi to approach Manipur High Court for regular bail.

Dwivedi was part of the three-member fact-finding team that also included office-bearers of the CPI’s National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) Annie Raja and Nisha Sidhu. The FIR was lodged under various IPC sections, including waging war against the country.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India D. Y. Chandrachud said Dwivedi could appear through video conference before the Manipur High Court after senior counsel Sidharth Dave, appearingfor the woman lawyer, saidshe would not be able to visit the state due to constant threats.

However, solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Manipur government, disputed Dave’s claim. “If she can go and give speeches in Manipur and incite violence, she can certainly go to the high court,” he said.

“She’s a young lady lawyer. It would have been different for a man,” Dave responded.

To this, Mehta said: “All lady lawyers don’t go and incite violence.”

“Mr Dave, we have protected your client. We have said she will appear online. That’s the end of the matter,” the bench, which also included Justice P. S. Narasimha and Justice Manoj Misra, said.

However, Dave said: “I am agitated because this is a serious matter. She is getting online threats... four weeks is not enough.”

The CJI said she was free to approach the apex court again in case of any grievance.

On July 11, the apex court stayed Dwivedi’s arrest till July 14 and extended it again till Monday.

According to Dwivedi, the Manipur government had registered a false and motivated FIR against her because she was part of a fact-finding committee appointed by the NFIW to submit a report on the violence in the state.