The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the stand of the Madhya Pradesh government after it said that it would challenge anticipatory bail granted to a former government school principal in Indore who was charged in connection with a book that purportedly has objectionable content about Hindus, Bar and Bench reported.
“He is a college principal,” Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said. “The state must do more serious work. A book from 2014 is found in the library. You want to challenge the final order...are you serious?”
Inamur Rahman had been allegedly forced to resign as the principal of New Government Law College on December 3 after a controversy erupted over the book titled Collective Violence and Criminal Justice System. The book, written by Farhat Khan, was in the college library.
Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad had alleged that Khan’s book contains objectionable content about Hindus and Hindutva outfits such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal. The ABVP is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Members of the student organisation also claimed that the book talks about the emergence of “Hindu communalism as a destructive ideology”.
Besides Rahman, the Madhya Pradesh Police have filed a case against Khan, the publishing house Amar Law Publication and a professor named Mirza Mojiz Baig. Khan had been arrested on December 8.
Rahman approached the Supreme Court after the Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissed his application seeking interim anticipatory bail.
On December 16, the Supreme Court stayed Rahman’s arrest in the case and posted the matter for hearing on January 16. It had also asked the Madhya Pradesh government to file its response within four weeks.
During Monday’s hearing, advocate Aljo K Joseph, appearing for Rahman, informed the court that his client was granted anticipatory bail by the Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 22.
However, as the court was proceeding to dispose the petition, the counsel representing the Madhya Pradesh government said that the state is intending to challenge the relief granted to Rahman, reported Live Law.
The counsel submitted that students of the college complained that Rahman was using the book during classes.
“If you want to challenge the order, you do it,” Justice Chandrachud said. “We will deal with it.”
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