The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking to arrest suspended Bhartiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her her disparaging remarks about Prophet Muhammad, reported Live Law.
The petitioner withdrew the plea on court’s recommendation.
Sharma’s comments about the Prophet, made during a debate on the Times Now television channel on May 26, had led to a spate of violence and unrest across several parts of the country in June. India also faced a diplomatic outrage from a number of Gulf countries. Two men have been killed for supporting her.
Multiple first information reports were filed against Sharma for her remarks. On August 10, the Supreme Court had ordered that the FIR be clubbed and transferred to the Delhi Police.
The court also extended the interim protection that it had granted to Sharma on July 19 till the investigation is completed.
On July 1, a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant had come down heavily on Sharma, saying that she should have apologised to the country for her remarks.
The judges had also orally said that Sharma was single-handedly responsible for the tensions in the country and that being a spokesperson of a national political party does not give anyone the liberty to speak “such disturbing things”.
“These are not religious people at all, they make statements to provoke,” the judges had said, while asking Sharma to approach the High Courts.
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