'SP-rank officer can be made responsible to monitor FIRs on sedition cases': Centre to SC

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that a superintendent of police rank officer can be made responsible for monitoring registration of FIRs for the offence of sedition.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, that however, the registration of FIRs for the offence of sedition cannot be prevented as the provision dealt with a cognisable offence and was upheld by a Constitution bench in 1962.

With regard to pending sedition cases, the Centre suggested that hearing on bail pleas in such matters may be expedited as the government did not know the gravity of offence in each case and they may have terror or money laundering angles.

"Ultimately, pending cases are before judicial forum and we need to trust courts," the law officer told the bench which also comprised justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli.

The proceedings are on.

On Tuesday, the bench had asked the Centre make its stand clear within 24 hours on keeping the pending sedition cases in abeyance to protect the interests of citizens already booked and not registering fresh cases till the government's re-examination of the colonial-era penal law is over.