The Supreme Court earlier in the day stayed the potential arrests of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, journalist Rajdeep Sardesai and other journalists for alleged misreporting on the violence that took place in Delhi on January 26 in the wake of the farmers protests, according to Bar & Bench website.

A bench of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian also issued notice in the plea filed by Tharoor and the others seeking quashing of the FIRs filed against them for allegedly “misreporting” and “spreading disharmony” over tweets and reports on the ongoing farmers’ protests.

Despite the government’s assertions that the tweet in question caused damage and some counter-elucidations from the petitioners, accused of inciting violence through irresponsible tweets on a farmer’s death on January 26, 2021, the apex court gave two weeks time to all parties to formulate statements, etc and ultimately decided to stay the potential arrests of the petitioners and issue notice in the matter returnable in two weeks.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and various journalists including India Today‘s Rajdeep Sardesai and The Caravan’s Vinod K Jose had approached the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the FIRs registered against them for allegedly “misreporting” and “spreading disharmony” on the ongoing farmers’ protests.

The others who have moved the Supreme Court for relief include  journalists Mrinal Pande, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath and Anand Nath.