Supreme Court: SC may hear NewsClick founder’s plea on UAPA use

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday said it will consider listing for hearing the plea of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and its HR head Amit Chakravarty against the Delhi high court‘s rejection of their petitions challenging their arrest and police remand in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions of senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, appearing for Purkayastha and Chakravarty, that the matter needed urgent hearing, and asked him to circulate the case papers.The CJI said he would take a call on the listing.
On October 13, the Delhi high court had rejected the duo’s contention that they ought to have been supplied with the grounds of arrest when they were apprehended by the police and said the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act does not mandate furnishing the grounds in writing and only speaks of the accused being “informed” about the reasons for arrest.