The state home department on Wednesday informed the High Court that it had no other option than to register cases against MIM legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi when courts ordered it.
Justice Ramesh Ranganathan was hearing a petition by Akbaruddin seeking a direction to the police not to issue multiple FIRs for his alleged hate speech.
K Janakiram Reddy, counsel for the home department, said, “We have no power to refuse a court directive.”
After watching on Internet the hate speech of the petitioner, delivered at Nirmal in Adilabad district, several persons approached the courts not only in Andhra Pradesh, but across the country and the courts directed the police to register cases, he said.
The petitioner contended that more than one FIR cannot be registered with respect to a single offence. .
Janakiram Reddy said as cases were registered against the petitioner across the country, the case has to go to the Supreme Court.
The judge said he will examine the legal position. He enquired whether there is any provision in the law which empowers a citizen to lodge a complaint based on TV or Internet content.
The judge asked the government counsel to find out the details from the authorities concerned and inform the court by next Wednesday.
The judge directed the counsel to file a counter affidavit before next Wednesday as he will hear the case on that day.