SC grants relief to BJP's Prashant Umrao, asks him to apologise for his tweet on Bihar migrants in Tamil Nadu
Apr 06, 2023
New Delhi [India], April 6 : The Supreme Court on Thursday asked Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson and advocate Prashant Umrao to tender an unconditional apology for allegedly posting a "fake" video about the 'attack' against Bihari migrant workers in Tamil Nadu.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala also remarked that Umrao should be more responsible before putting out such tweets.
"He should be more responsible," the bench said.
The apex court also granted relief to Umrao by modifying the High Court order and directed him to appear on April 10 before the Tamil Nadu police station.
It modified the conditions imposed by the Madras High Court which while granting him anticipatory bail directed him to report before the police station from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm every day for 15 days.
"The condition requiring the petitioner (Umrao) to report to the police station between 10.30 am to 5.30 pm for 15 days is modified. He shall appear on Monday at 10 am and thereafter as and when required by the investigating officer," the bench stated in its order.
The top court also issued notice to Tamil Nadu on Umrao's plea seeking the clubbing of FIRs registered against him in different police stations for his tweet.
The bench said that the anticipatory bail granted to Umrao by single judge of the High Court will be applicable to any FIR registered in Tamil Nadu.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the State, told the bench that the other FIRs do not name Umrao as an accused.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing Umrao, said that there was an inaccuracy in the tweet and on realising that, he deleted the tweet and now there are multiple FIRs harassing the young man.
Umrao approached the top court for clubbing of the FIRs registered against him in different police stations over his tweet and an appeal against the condition imposed by the Madras High Court while granting him anticipatory bail.
Umrao, the standing counsel of Goa, was booked for allegedly tweeting disinformation about migrant labourers from Bihar in Tamil Nadu.
The Tamil Nadu police booked Umrao for the tweet and FIRs were registered in various police stations in the state under Sections 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (hate speech), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.
