Prophet row: SC grants interim protection to Nupur Sharma from arrest

The Supreme Court has given relief to suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma and stayed her arrest till August 10, in the matter of her remarks on Prophet Muhammad. Moreover, the court is considering transferring all the cases registered against her to one place.

On Tuesday, a bench of Justices Suryakant and JB Pardiwala heard the petition of Nupur Sharma. A senior advocate Maninder Singh appeared on behalf of Nupur Sharma. Advocate Maninder Singh said that Nupur Sharma’s life was in danger, and it would not be possible for her to go to every state’s High Courts.

To this, the bench said that their primary concern is to ensure the safety of Nupur Sharma so that she can avail of her treatment under the law. The court asked the Center and the states (where the FIR has been lodged) to protect Nupur Sharma against death threats.

“In light of recent events, the concern of the court is as to how can the petitioner avail the legal remedy. In order to explore the possibility…Let notice be issued to the respondents. The matter was posted for hearing on August 10. Copies of the main writ petition shall also be supplied to the respondents, said the bench.

Nupur Sharma had also petitioned the Supreme Court for relief on July 1, but after the court’s harsh comments, she withdrew the petition.

Earlier on July 1, the supreme court said she and her ‘loose tongue’ had set the entire country on fire. The court has also asked Sharma to apologise to the nation. “The way she has ignited emotions across the country, this lady is singlehandedly responsible for what is happening in the country,” the bench said earlier.

However, in the court, Maninder Singh also showed Khadim and other videos of Ajmer Dargah in which Nupur was threatened with death.