The Supreme Court on Friday continued till July 17 its protection against arrest of a woman lawyer who took part in a fact-finding mission to violence-hit Manipur.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud extended the order till Monday on a plea by senior advocate Siddharth Dave for the lawyer, Deeksha Dwivedi. The court had originally stepped in to protect Ms. Dwivedi on July 11.
The hearing, originally scheduled for July 14, was adjourned after the State of Manipur sought an adjournment.
Ms. Dwivedi was part of a three-member team of the National Federation of Indian Women that visited Manipur. The members subsequently held a press conference in which they alleged that the violence in Manipur was State-sponsored. Following this, the Manipur Police filed an FIR against them.
Ms. Dwivedi has been accused of sedition and conspiracy to wage war against India, among other offences.
Mr. Dave said Ms. Dwivedi was a lawyer for four years. “We learn that the offences are Section 121A, 124A, 153, 153A, and 153B of the Indian Penal Code. Two of the offences are punishable with life imprisonment,” Mr. Dave had argued.
