Allahabad HC stays warrant against Kejri for four weeks

NEW DELHI: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Monday stayed for four weeks the bailable warrant issued against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal by a Amethi court for his alleged inflammatory speech in UP during 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Staying the arrest warrant, Justice Mahendra Dayal permitted Kejriwal's counsel to move a fresh plea for exemption before the magistrate court.The bench also directed the lower court concerned to dispose of the plea expeditiously.
The Delhi CM's counsel Mahmood Alam argued that the alleged speech comes under purview of 'Right to Expression', hence no offence was made out, but the state government's counsel Rishad Murtaza said there were certain limits to 'Right to Expression'.
Murtaza said the case was registered in Amethi against Kejriwal in May 2014 during the 2014 LS polls under Section 125 of Representation of People's Act in connection with his speech at Aurangabad village.
The section deals with the offence of promoting enmity between classes in connection with election on grounds of religion, race, caste, community or language and entails imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or fine, or both.