As per the data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, 326 persons were booked under sedition law and six have been convicted so far between 2014 to 2019. And Assam state registered the highest number of cases -- 54 cases.
After SC's recent observation of misuse of colonial-era law Section 124 (A) and asked why the Centre was not considering scrapping of the same, now a report from Home Ministry says 326 cases and 6 convictions were reported in 6 years between 2014-2019.
The court in its observation has contended that such provision of Sedition law by Britishers was used to silence freedom fighters and suppress the freedom movement.
As per data now, Assam tops the list with 54 cases in which a chargesheet has been filed in 26 cases and trials were completed in 25 cases. Similarly, Jharkhand has 40 cases out of which a chargesheet has been filed in 29 cases and 16 cases witnesses completion trial. 1 person also has been convicted in this connection.
Haryana witnessed 31 cases under Sedition law out of which trials were completed in 6 cases and the chargesheet was filed in 16 cases. One person also has been convicted under sedition law from the state.
States like Bihar, Kerala have 25 cases respectively but have not filed a chargesheet so far.
Similarly, Jammu and Kashmir which also has 25 cases, filed chargesheets only in 3 cases. It is yet to report any conviction under this law.
Out of these cases, chargesheets were filed in 141 cases while just 6 people were convicted for the offense during the 6 years.
Similarly southern state, Karnataka reported 22 cases and saw a chargesheet filed in 17 cases and witnessed the completion of the trial in 1 case.
Uttar Pradesh reported 17 sedition cases and a chargesheet was filed in 8 cases. West Bengal reported 8 cases and a chargesheet was filed in 5 cases. These two states also are yet to report any convictions.
Union Territory and national capital Delhi saw only 4 cases and no chargesheet in any of the cases so far. States like Maharashtra, Punjab and Uttarakhand have reported one case each.
2018 and 2019 saw more cases filed under the colonial law
While the year 2018 saw 70 people booked under the Sedition law, in 2019, 93 persons were booked under IPC Section 124A from across the country.
What is PC Section 124A ?
As per this law a person who tries to bring hatred, enmity and disaffection against the country by speeches, written or spoken any visible contents or other actions shall be punished with imprisonment with fine to maximum life term.
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