Ashis Nandy moves SC, plea to be heard today

Apprehending his arrest for allegedly making anti-Dalit remarks during the recent Jaipur-lit fest, eminent author Ashis Nandy on Thursday approached the Supreme Court for quashing the FIR registered against him in Rajasthan.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir agreed to hear his plea. The petition would be heard on Friday.

Senior advocate Aman Lekhi mentioned the matter before the CJI’s court and sought an urgent hearing. He pleaded for the SC’s intervention in the matter, citing there was “serious apprehension” of him being arrested.

“The registration of the FIR is itself an abuse of law and there is imminent danger of the same being compounded as the petitioner is being denied of his fundamental rights under Article 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution, because of the clamour for his immediate arrest from important political personalities including Mayawati and Chairman SC and ST Commission P L Punia,” stated the petition, filed by advocate Gaurang Kanth.