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 headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud asked Surjewala to approach the
court of special judge (MP/MLA) Varanasi for cancellation of the NBW 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," said
the bench also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
The
matter came up for hearing after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing
for Surjewala, mentioned the matter in the morning seeking an urgent hearing.
The
case dates back to 2000 when Surjewala, who was then national president of the
Indian Youth Congress, was booked for allegedly creating a ruckus while
protesting against the alleged false implication of Congress leaders in the
Samvasini scandal in Varanasi.