TN migrant labour controversy: SC relief to BJP UP spokesperson Umrao; but told to tender unconditional apology for tweets

Modifying the condition set by the Madras High Court, the apex court directed Prashant Umrao to appear before the police station in Tamil Nadu on April 10.

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The apex court, however, expressed displeasure at Umrao for sharing wrong information on Twitter regarding alleged attacks against Bihari migrant workers in Tamil Nadu. (Twitter @ippatel)

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Granting relief to Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson and lawyer Prashant Umrao, who was previously booked by the Thoothukudi Central police for his tweets on the alleged plight of Bihari migrant workers in Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court Thursday modified the condition set by the Madras High Court which required him to report before the police station from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm every day for 15 days, news agency ANI reported.

As per the modified order, Umrao has to appear before the police station in Tamil Nadu only on April 10.

The apex court, however, expressed displeasure at Umrao for sharing wrong information on Twitter regarding alleged attacks against Bihari migrant workers in Tamil Nadu, Live Law reported. The top court also asked him to tender an unconditional apology for allegedly posting a “fake” video about the “attack” against Bihari migrant workers.

The top court further passed an ad interim order that the anticipatory bail granted by the High Court would be applicable to any other FIRs registered in the state of Tamil Nadu with respect to the same cause of action.

A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Pankaj Mithal was hearing two petitions filed by the advocate and BJP leader – a writ petition for the clubbing of the first information reports (FIRs) registered against him in different police stations over the tweet; and a special leave petition against the condition imposed by the Madras High Court while granting him anticipatory bail, the Live Law report mentioned further.

On February 23, Umrao had posted a tweet claiming that 15 migrant workers were assaulted for speaking Hindi, of which 12 died. They were eventually debunked as fake by fact-checkers and the state police department, but not before causing widespread panic.

Following this, Umrao was booked by the Thoothukudi Central police for allegedly spreading wrong information under Sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of the peace) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).

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He had last month moved the Delhi High Court Monday seeking transit anticipatory bail in the matter arising out of the FIR registered against him by the Tamil Nadu police. In the plea, Umrao stated that an FIR at Thoothukudi Central police station against him was “wrongly registered” in response to certain tweets which Umrao had posted on his Twitter account “based upon the news covered by national news agencies”.

(With inputs from ANI, Live Law)

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