SC Adjourns Professor’s Plea Challenging Summons in Criminal Case Over Defamatory Statement on Meiteis

 NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned to July 31 a plea filed by Hyderabad University's professor Kham Khan Suan Hausing challenging summons issued by a Manipur Court in a criminal complaint lodged against him for allegedly defaming the Meitei community during an interview.

The plea, which was originally scheduled to be heard by a CJI-led bench on July 28, was mentioned by senior advocate Anand Grover before a bench headed by Justice S.K. Kaul seeking an urgent hearing on Friday or on Monday (July 31).

"It's on Monday (July 31)," said the bench, refusing to take the plea urgently on board.

Hausing, a professor and head of the political science department at the University of Hyderabad, was issued a summons by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal, who took cognizance of the offences made out under Sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups), 200, 295A (outraging religious feelings by insulting religious beliefs), 298, 505(i), and 120(B) of the IPC.

The plea contended that the petitioner "read on social media that an FIR has been registered against him on the basis of an interview, which he had given to Mr. Karan Thapar of The Wire".

It said that the petitioner has filed the writ petition before the Supreme Court to "safeguard his fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution". (IANS)

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