Kerala High Court grants interim protection from arrest to Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in hate speech case

Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday moved the Kerala Hgh Court to quash a hate speech case filed against him for his social media posts on the recent Kalamassery blasts..The matter was heard by Justice CS Dias who ordered the State authorities not to take any coercive action against Chandrasekhar till December 14..Appearing for Chandrasekhar, Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani argued that the charges were baseless and inspired by political motives.According to him, the first information report (FIR) is a result of collusion between political adversaries. He also raised concerns about discrepancies in the notice and alleged harassment..At least 3 persons were killed and 51 persons injured - some of whom are reportedly in critical condition - in the blasts that that occurred at a convention centre in Kalamassery, a suburb of Ernakulam, on October 29.The blasts were set off during a meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses. A few hours after the blasts, one Dominic Martin surrendered to the police for carrying out the attack.In the immediate aftermath of the blasts, a section of netizens had started putting up social media posts placing blame on different communities and groups, all before any confirmation from the authorities. The Kerala Police quickly took to their own social media handles and warned of strict action against any persons who try to stoke communal hatred via social media. .Chandrasekhar was accused of having put up some social media posts with the intent to brew communal discord, with even Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan openly calling the Minister out for the same. .On October 31, the Ernakulam Central Police Station booked Chandrasekhar on the basis of a complaint filed by the sub-inspector of the Ernakulam cyber cell. The FIR against him alleged commission of offences punishable under Sections 153, 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act. Section 153 of the IPC penalises "wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riots", and Section 153A penalises "promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony".Section 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act provides the penalty for causing nuisance and violation of public order..According to the FIR, the social media posts in question mentioned "Palestine terrorist group Hamas" and contained other provocative material. The same was later spread through text messages and media reports, all of which contributed to spreading hatred against one religious community, thereby hampering the communal harmony the the state of Kerala, the FIR stated. .Chandrasekhar is represented by advocates Santhosh Mathew, Anil Sebastian Pulickel, Mathew Nevin Thomas, Kurian Antony Mathew, Abi Benny Areeckal, Shinto Mathew Abraham, and Joe S Adhikaram..[Read Order]