Supreme Court refuses to cancel FIRs against TV anchor Amish Devgan for Sufi saint remark

The Apex Court bench comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Sanjiv Khanna asserted that the journalist will get protection from any coercive action if he continues to cooperate with the probe.

The top court clubbed and transferred all the seven FIRs filed against Amish Devgan in different states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana, to Ajmer in Rajasthan.

Several police complaints and FIRs have been registered against Devgan across the country after he described the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti as “attacker” and “lootera” (robber) during a debate he hosted on his show ‘Aar Par’ on June 15.

The show was debating public interest litigations (PILs) regarding the Place of Worship Special Provision Act.

Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for Devgan, had submitted that there was no "incitement of hate" or any attempt to "instigate a particular community against the other."

Devgan had already apologised for his remarks, terming as "inadvertent error."

"In 1 of my debates, I inadvertently referred to ‘Khilji’ as Chishti. I sincerely apologise for this grave error and the anguish it may have caused to followers of the Sufi saint Moinuddin Chisthi, whom I revere. I have in the past sought blessings at his dargah. I regret this error," he had said in a tweet.