SC declines to grant interim relief to AAP MP in NBW in Lucknow FIR

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to grant immediate relief to AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in a matter pertaining to non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued in connection with an FIR lodged in Lucknow.

The case was registered after his press conference on August 12 last year, where he alleged the UP government was favouring a certain class of society.

The MP approached the top court seeking quashing of multiple FIRs against him in various districts of UP after the press conference and claimed these cases were the result of political vendetta.

In a separate plea, Singh also challenged the January 21 of the Allahabad High Court which declined to quash the FIR in Lucknow.

On Tuesday, a bench presided over by Justice Ashok Bhushan refused to pass any order in the case without examining the High Court order in the matter. The bench asked senior advocate Vivek Tankha and advocate Sumeer Sodhi, representing Singh, to bring on record High Court order copy in the matter.

Singh's counsel requested the bench that he should be protected in the backdrop of NBW, which has been issued against him.

The bench replied that Singh can seek exemption before the trial court and also declined to issue any notice in the matter at this stage. The top court adjourned the case for further hearing next week.

Singh said that in the press conference he merely highlighted certain social issues and apathy of the government against certain class in society.

Singh contended eight FIRs filed in eight districts including at Lucknow, Sant Kabir Nagar, Khiri, Bagpat, Muzaffarnagar, Basti and at Aligarh at the instance of BJP workers as a result of political vendetta and also with an intent to intimidate him.