Insight Bureau:The supreme court put the sedition law on hold and told the Centre and states to refrain from registering new FIRs invoking section 124a of the Indian penal code. A bench headed by chief justice NV Ramana said that it will be appropriate not to use this provision of law till further reexamination is over.

All the pending cases, appeals and proceedings with respect to charges framed for sedition should be kept in abeyance. Reliefs granted to the accused will continue and fixed for hearing pleas challenging the validity of the provision.

With regard to pending sedition cases, the Centre suggested that hearing on bail pleas in such matters may be expedited as the government did not know the gravity of offense in each case. The government suggested that for now, a police officer of the level of superintendent or above could decide whether a sedition charge should be filed.

Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioners said, there were over 800 cases of sedition across India and 13,000 people were in jail. If any fresh cases are filed, those charged can approach the court. Chief justice added, The union of India is at liberty to pass directives to states to prevent misuse of the law.