The Supreme Court has issued notices to four states, a Union Territory, and several individuals in response to Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s petition seeking the clubbing of FIRs registered against him over his remarks on ‘Sanatana Dharma’. Represented by senior advocates, Mr. Stalin argued that the registration of multiple FIRs violated his right to a fair trial and amounted to “persecution before prosecution.”
His plea, focusing on procedural issues rather than the merits of the case, emphasized the well-settled principle in criminal law that only a criminal court within whose territorial jurisdiction the alleged offence took place should proceed with the case. Mr. Stalin expressed concern that investigations in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra would have political overtones, affecting his right to a fair trial. The petition highlighted that filing different complaints in different courts was a means to harass him and drown him in litigation, further exacerbating the situation by mentioning grave threats, including death threats, that he had received.