Supreme Court verdict on sedition case against Vinod Dua

Journalist bodies welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the sedition case against veteran journalist Vinod Dua.

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The apex court had quashed the case against Dua for his alleged comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his YouTube show last year, saying a 1962 verdict entitles every journalist to protection.

Section 124A of the IPC penalises sedition as punishable with either imprisonment ranging from three years to a lifetime, a fine, or both.

The Supreme Court shielded Dua from arrest earlier and the case itself was quashed recently by a two-judge bench comprising Justice U U Lalit and Justice Vineet Saran.

It held that his remarks constituted genuine criticism of the government and could not be labelled seditious. In doing so, the court also reiterated the principles in the landmark case on sedition — Kedar Nath Singh v Union of India (1962).