The Supreme Court of India has extended the interim bail of Congress leader Pawan Khera till March 17, 2021. This comes after the apex court heard the remarks against the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, made by Khera during a press conference in October 2020.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M.R. Shah, heard the plea filed by Khera seeking extension of his interim bail. The bench noted that the remarks made by Khera were not in good taste and that he should have exercised restraint. However, the bench also noted that the remarks were made in the heat of the moment and that Khera had not intended to cause any harm.
The bench also noted that the remarks made by Khera were not in violation of any law and that the case against him was not of a serious nature. The bench also noted that Khera had cooperated with the investigation and had not tried to evade the law.
The bench, therefore, extended the interim bail of Khera till March 17, 2021. The bench also directed Khera to cooperate with the investigation and to not make any further remarks against the Prime Minister.
The remarks made by Khera had sparked a controversy and had led to a police complaint being filed against him. The complaint had alleged that Khera had made derogatory remarks against the Prime Minister and had tried to incite hatred against him.
The Supreme Court’s decision to extend the interim bail of Khera is a welcome move and will ensure that the investigation into the case is conducted in a fair and impartial manner. It is also a reminder to all political leaders to exercise restraint while making public statements and to not make remarks that could be seen as inciting hatred or violence.