Former Madhya Pradesh High Court judge Justice Rohit Arya has officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The move comes nearly three months after he retired from the judiciary.
“My thinking is in sync with the BJP’s philosophy. A party that believes in human values. A judge is also a human being. Once he retires, he has a life and can express his attitudes; There is nothing wrong in it. Yes, a judge while in his chair should ensure that he adopts a fair view. Arya’s remarks during court proceedings often went viral on social media.
In January 2021, Arya denied bail to comedian Munawar Faruqui in a case related to allegations that the comedian allegedly made derogatory jokes about Hindu gods and goddesses. The court concluded that there was prima facie evidence that Faruqui had an intention to offend religious sentiments in the garb of stand-up comedy.
The Supreme Court later intervened in the case, granting bail to Faruqui and overturning the high court order.
In another notable case in 2020, Justice Arya notoriously granted bail to a man accused of disrespecting the modesty of a woman on the condition that he present himself before the complainant on Raksha Bandhan so that he can tie a “rakhi” on her wrist, which symbolises the brother-sister relationship. The accused was also supposed to promise the complainant’s safety.
This decision was met with critical criticism and was later overturned by the Supreme Court. Attorney General KK Venugopal said in his argument that the high court order was nothing, but drama and it should be condemned.
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