High Court attacks magistrate for sedition proceedings against Arun Jaitley

ALLAHABAD: The Allahabad High Court has come down heavily on a magistrate in Mahoba district in Uttar Pradesh for initiating proceedings on sedition charges against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for his comments on the Supreme Court verdict striking down the NJAC Act saying, he had committed a "manifest illegality".

"....this Court is of the firm opinion that none of the ingredients essential for invoking the provisions of Sections 124A or 505 of the Penal Code stood attracted to the article in question.

"The magistrate has committed a manifest illegality in forming an opinion that an offence under the above provisions stood prima facie committed," Justice J Yashwant Varma said in a 17-page order setting aside the order passed by Ankit Goel, Judical Magistrate of Kulpahar, Mahoba district.