Manipur violence: SC extends protection granted to woman lawyer from arrest till July 17 

New Delhi [India], July 14 : The Supreme Court on Friday extended the interim protection granted by it to a woman lawyer till July 17 who was booked for charges including sedition after a three-member fact-finding team of CPI-affiliated National Federation of Indian Women General (NIFW) visited violence-hit Manipur and later in a press meet concluded that ethnic conflict underway in the State was “state-sponsored violence”.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra was told that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta will appear for the State of Manipur and the Centre and he was not currently available.
The bench in its order stated, "To enable the court to have the benefit of the submissions of the respondents (State and Centre), list on Monday (July 17). The interim order dated July 11, 2023, is extended till the next date of listing."
Earlier on July 11, the top court ordered that no coercive action be taken against advocate Deeksha Dwivedi until 5 pm on July 14.
Dwivedi approached the Supreme Court after Manipur Police registered an FIR against her, CPI leader and NIFW secretary Annie Raja and Nisha Siddhu.
The FIR has been registered against them for charges including those pertaining to provocation with intent to cause a riot, waging war against the country, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace, imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration, and promoting enmity between different groups.
The FIR was registered by the Manipur Police on July 8.
The FIR was registered at the Imphal police station in Imphal West District on July 8, based on a complaint received from 53-year-old resident S Liben Singh.
The fact-finding team of the NFIW visited Manipur between June 28 and July 1, following which they held a presser.