The Supreme Court on Thursday granted protection to Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala from a Non-Bailable Warrant issued by the MP/MLA court of Varanasi in connection with a 23-year-old criminal case.
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, directed Surjewala to approach the court of special judge (MP/MLA) Varanasi for NBW cancellation within five weeks.
“The petitioner is granted liberty to move an application for cancellation of NBW. The warrant shall not be executed in the meantime for a period up to five weeks,” the bench stated.
The matter came up for hearing after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Surjewala, mentioned the matter in the morning seeking an urgent hearing.
The case traces back to 2000, when Surjewala, then national president of the Indian Youth Congress, faced charges related to creating a disturbance while protesting against the alleged false implication of Congress leaders in the Samvasini scandal in Varanasi.