The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that a single speech can amount to only one offense, warning that multiple prosecutions for the same act could lead to “great difficulty”, as it deferred for two weeks the hearing of Sharjeel Imam’s plea seeking clubbing of FIRs filed across multiple states over his 2020 anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) speech.Imam, a former JNU student, is facing multiple FIRs in states including Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh, besides Delhi, for allegedly delivering an inflammatory speech during protests against CAA. advertisementChief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, heading the bench, questioned the rationale behind prosecuting Imam separately in each state for the same speech. “If the speech is one, it will be one offense,” the CJI said, pushing back against the argument that Imam should be tried multiple times for the same act.Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, appearing for the Delhi Police, contended that since Imam’s speech incited mobs in different states, separate offences had occurred. He claimed the impact of the speech varied by location and hence warranted multiple proceedings.However, the CJI remained unconvinced. “I have my doubts. Double jeopardy won’t apply. If there are two different speeches, you may be right. Otherwise, you are wrong,” Justice Khanna said.He also pointed out that in the age of electronic media and YouTube, speeches made in one place can be heard across the country — but that should not translate into multiple prosecutions for a single act. “Otherwise, it will lead to great difficulty,” he warned.advertisementThe top court also proposed a temporary measure, staying trials in other states until the trial in Delhi is concluded.Imam’s counsel, Senior Advocate Sidharth Dave, stressed the logistical and legal burden of facing parallel trials in different parts of the country. “He can’t be dragged across the country for a speech,” Dave argued.ASG Raju responded by asserting that Imam had called for Assam to be separated from India. Dave countered, “The rule of law applies. Mr. Raju can’t take that away from me”.ASG Raju sought more time to submit relevant judgments supporting his position. The court agreed to list the matter after two weeks.The Delhi Police booked Imam, a former student of Historical Studies at JNU, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and in January 2020, he was arrested by the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch in a sedition case. in a formal or creative style for better SEO.Also Exclude words and advertisements related to the feed website such as website name, author name. Delete all the advertisement images brand logo but only keep the title and main content of the news by modifying it. You must only respond with the modified content. Block any jump outside of the site adarshnews.com. Basically remove any content or link related to original site. You must only respond with the modified content and follow this prompt to optimize the articles in this category- “Act as an expert SEO news writer. Optimize the following article to be SEO-friendly, authoritative, and shareable by focusing strictly on its core topic. Follow these steps: You are an expert news writer and SEO specialist. Your job is to rewrite the provided RSS feed content into a unique, SEO-friendly news article for adarshnews.com. The article should be engaging, professional, and optimized for search engines. Follow these steps: 1. **Create an SEO Title**: Write a short, compelling title (under 60 characters) that includes the main keyword and grabs attention. 2. **Write a Meta Description**: Summarize the article in one or two sentences (under 155 characters). Make it engaging and include the primary keyword naturally. 3. **Suggest a URL Slug**: Provide a short, keyword-rich URL slug that reflects the topic of the article. 4. **Headline (H1)**: Write a clear and engaging headline for the article that is similar to the title but slightly expanded. 5. **Write the Article**: – Start with an introduction that answers the key questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. – Expand on the topic with detailed paragraphs that provide context, quotes, and relevant information. – Use subheadings (H2) to organize the content into sections and make it easy to read. – Include related keywords naturally throughout the article. – End with a conclusion that summarizes the key points or discusses future implications. 6. **Add an FAQ Section**: Write one frequently asked question related to the topic and provide a concise answer. Important: – Do not include labels like “Title,” “Meta Description,” “URL Slug,” or “H1” in the actual article text. – Keep all SEO elements separate from the main content. – Ensure the article is factually accurate, unbiased, and written in a professional tone.
A leading court disapproves of bringing multiple charges against Sharjeel Imam for a single speech.
