New Delhi: The Supreme Court on March 25 quashed hate crime proceedings initiated against Shillong Times editor Patricia Mukhim for a Facebook post.
A Bench led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao agreed with Mukhim, a Padma Shri awardee, that her social media post was only an expression of truth in the face of persecution.
The decision came in Mukhim’s appeal against the Meghalaya High Court’s refusal to quash the proceedings against her under Sections 153a (hate), 500 (defamation) and 505(c) (incite a community or caste to commit an offence against another). The offences are non-bailable.
Mukhim, represented by advocates Vrinda Grover, Soutik Banerjee and Prasanna S, said her Facebook post had only alerted the authorities to enforce the law against the perpetrators of a brutal attack against six non-tribal boys in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya.
“A plain reading of the petitioner’s Facebook post makes it clear that the intent and purpose of this post is to appeal for impartial enforcement of rule of law; equal treatment before the law of all citizens; condemnation of targeted violence against members of a minority group; and end to impunity for violence,” Mukhim had argued.
She said her effort to ensure peace and harmony between communities and groups in the state has led to her, in turn, being accused of fostering hate.
Source: thehindu.com
Patricia Mukhim deserves the S C judgement. She has always stood for communal harmony as a writer. I knew her in 80’s and 90’s when I was in Shillong during that period. She always wrote against violence and stood for peaceful co-existence of different communities when incidents occurred from time to time in Shillong. This is a victory not only for her but for humanity as a whole. Wish her all the best for her stand and all support for her principles.
Good to see that the court has upheld the freedom and dignity of the press. We need more fearless writers.