Today, the Supreme Court of India grants bail to Advocate Prashant Umrao. The State Police of Tamil Naidu registered a case against him for making attacks on migrant workers in the southern state. He is also a member of Goa Standing Counsel.

In light of the statement made by the Learned Additional Advocate General representing the State, Justices B.R. Gavai and Prashant Kumar Mishra headed the bench noted that only one First Information Report (FIR) had been filed against the petitioner. Consequently, they determined that the criminal petition no. 143 of 2023 was no longer necessary and thus dismissed it.

Furthermore, it was noted that the investigation had been completed, and a chargesheet was soon to be filed. Given these circumstances, the Special Leave Petition (SLP) was granted in accordance with the interim order from April 6, 2023.

AAG Amit Anand Tiwari appeared for the State.  In the course of today's arguments, AAG informed the court that contrary to the assertion of multiple pending FIRs against Umrao, only one FIR had been registered in the matter.

Tiwari said, “In this case, the investigation is complete milords…the writ petition is premised on the fact that multiple FIRs are filed. Now in the counter affidavit, we have disclosed that only one FIR has been filed. He can avail whatever remedies are available to him, he can challenge this FIR”.

It is also to be noted that the Court in its April order while passing the interim order had also modified the anticipatory bail condition which required the petitioner to report before the police station every day for a period of 15 days. The Court directed the petitioner to appear before the police station on Monday at 10.30 am and thereafter as and when required.

Several FIRs were filed against him in Tamil Nadu under Sections 153 (provocation with intent to cause a riot), 153A (hate speech), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace), and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code. Nevertheless, on March 21, 2023, he was granted anticipatory bail by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, subject to several conditions.

In his petition before the Apex Court, he has contended that he fears for his safety if he is arrested in any of these undisclosed FIRs "which have been lodged by the Respondent in complete violation of basic tenets of the Criminal Jurisprudence and with a sole purpose to curtain the personal liberty of the Petitioner".

Case Title: Prashant Umrao @ Prashant Kumar v. The Inspector Of Police