New Delhi, 01 May (H.S.): Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Manu Singhvi welcomed the Supreme Court’s grant of anticipatory bail to Pawan Khera in the case linked to an alleged remark about the wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The case concerns allegations arising from Khera’s comments about her, and recent reports show the Supreme Court reserved its verdict before granting relief.

Speaking at a press conference at the Congress headquarters, Singhvi said the matter was not limited to one individual but raised fundamental questions about freedom of expression, the rule of law, and the role of the judiciary. He said that whenever liberty is at stake, the judiciary stands as the protector of citizens, and that everyone must remember that all are subject to the law.

Singhvi said the case travelled from the magistrate court in Kamrup to the Telangana High Court and then to the Supreme Court, and later also came before the Gauhati High Court before the apex court finally decided it. He added that several important legal questions arose during the process, the most significant being whether custodial interrogation is necessary in defamation-related matters.

He further said every citizen has the right to freedom of expression, and turning statements made during political campaigning into an excessive legal issue could threaten the protections guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar