Other States - Bihar   

Govt.'s plea against Advani rejected

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 16. The Supreme Court today dismissed an appeal filed by the Bihar Government against a 1996 judgment of the Patna High Court expunging certain remarks in the Bhagalpur Riots Commission report relating to the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani. A Bench, comprising Justice Brijesh Kumar and Justice Arun Kumar, held that the High Court judgment had rightly directed the expunging of the remarks. The judges did not agree with the State Government's contention that it was only considering the report of the three-member Commission inquiring into the 1989 Bhagalpur riots and that no action had been taken against either the BJP or its then chief, Mr. Advani.

On behalf of Mr. Advani, the High Court judgment was justified on the ground that a person's reputation was intrinsically related to his fundamental right to life and liberty and the same right was breached when the Commission, without giving him an opportunity to defend himself, went on to criticise him on the basis of his articles in the party magazine, Panchjanya, four years after the occurrence of the riots.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Govt.'s plea against Advani rejected
• Violence in Bihar over scanty relief

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu