Ashish Tripathi, New Delhi, DH News Service, Sep 6 2017, 14:33 IST
Gauri, 55, was shot dead on Tuesday evening outside her residence in Bengaluru. DH file photo
The murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh was raised in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The incident was cited by senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves during the hearing on a matter relating to cow vigilantism.
Arguing for 'Khudai Khidmatgar', an NGO, Gonsalves contended before a three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Dipak Misra that hate speech made by political leaders was responsible for her killing.
Gauri, 55, was shot dead on Tuesday evening outside her residence in Bengaluru.
The counsel sought directions to check hate speeches by political leaders.
The bench, also comprising Justices Amitava Roy and A M Khanwilkar, however, said, "We cannot gag people."
The counsel said these leaders are inciting people on Television for violence for eating beef. He said there are video clippings.
"You are too vocal and anxious. There is no specific law to deal with hate speech. We are still debating if political executives or Ministers should make comments in the matter pending investigation in the Azam Khan case," the bench said.
"We can't stop people from what they are saying on Television. We have already upheld the validity of the criminal provision of defamation," the bench said.
On Gonsalves' insistence, the court put his petition for hearing on October 9.
The court, during the hearing, also cited a judgement delivered by a bench presided over by Justice (since retired) B S Chauhan that the existing penal provisions were sufficient to deal with hate speech.