NEW DELHI: Holding that mere raising of slogans like Khalistan Zindabad ‘was neither a militant activity nor an act of sedition, the Supreme Court has acquitted a Punjab Roadways driver who shouted the slogan on hearing Indira Gandhi was assassinated on Oct. 31, 1984.
“Some more overt act was required to bring home the charge that raising of some slogans a couple of times, which did not evoke any reaction or response from public, had caused a threat to the government of India or created feelings of enmity or hatred among different communities or religious groups,” the court said while agreeing with an earlier judgment in March.
A two judge bench of Justice MK Mukherjee and justice GT Nunavut set aside the orders passed by the trial court and high court convicting Ranji Singh for committing sedition and militant activity. He was arrested from the crowded Sector 17 Shopping Plaza at Chandigarh (DV 9/95).
Article extracted from this publication >> September 29, 1995
