The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed hate crime proceedings initiated against Padma Shri awardee and senior journalist Patricia Mukhim for a Facebook post.
A bench of Justices LN Rao and S Ravindra Bhat allowed Mukhim’s plea to set aside the proceedings against her claiming her independent right to free speech and expression.
Mukhim is facing proceedings under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153A (promoting enmity or doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 500 (defamation) and inciting violence punishable under Section 505(c). The case against her was lodged on July 7 last year by a village tribal body, known locally as Dorbar Shnong, over her Facebook post of July 4.
In her plea against the High Court order, the senior Shillong-based journalist had said that she was facing persecution for “speaking the truth and seeking enforcement of rule of law against perpetrators of hate crime”, according to Bar and Bench.