Filing of sedition cases when regimes change a disturbing trend: CJI Ramana

The SC grants protection from arrest to a suspended senior IPS officer against whom cases have been filed by the Chhattisgarh government

Filing of sedition cases when regimes change is a “disturbing trend”, the Supreme Court said on Thursday, granting protection from arrest to a suspended senior IPS officer against whom two criminal cases for offence of sedition and amassing disproportionate assets have been filed by the Chhattisgarh government.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana directed the state police not to arrest its own suspended senior IPS officer Gurjinder Pal Singh in the cases.

It however directed Singh to cooperate with the agencies in the ongoing investigation.

“This is a very disturbing trend in the country and the police department is also responsible for this... When a political party is in power, police officials take side of the particular (ruling) party. Then when another new party comes into power, the government initiates action against the police officials. This needs to be stopped,” the bench said.

The bench, also comprising Justice Surya Kant, directed the state government to file its responses to the two separate petitions within four weeks during which the police officer will not be arrested.

Senior lawyers F S Nariman and Vikas Singh appeared for the suspended police officer and the state government was represented by senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Raeksh Dwivedi.

Two cases pertaining to the offence of sedition and for amassing disproportionate assets respectively have been lodged against Singh by the Congress-led Chhattisgarh government.