Overview
- Senior advocate Vrinda Grover argued that focusing on Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam obscures a wider misuse of anti-terror provisions against dissenting voices.
- Grover said neither accused is charged with violent acts and warned it is dangerous to treat terrorism as detached from violence while questioning any causal link between their speeches and the Delhi riots.
- Former law minister Ashwani Kumar called holding accused for over five years without trial patently unjust and cautioned that political commentary on pending cases undermines the right to a fair trial.
- Panelists criticized the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for retaining immunities and expanding speech-related offences and highlighted the absence of a statutory anti-torture offence despite earlier proposals and a pending petition.
- US judge Ketu Shah noted judicial fallibility and said legal interpretations evolve over time, offering a comparative perspective on why safeguards for liberty remain essential.