Tue Jan 21 07:17:19 UTC 2025: ## Supreme Court Quashes Trespass Case Against BJP MPs

**New Delhi, January 21, 2025** – The Supreme Court has upheld the quashing of a criminal trespass case against BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey and Manoj Tiwari, along with others. The MPs were accused of entering the Air Traffic Control (ATC) room at Deoghar Airport in Jharkhand in September 2022 after their chartered flight was delayed.

The court questioned the basis of the trespass charges, noting the lack of evidence of intimidation or endangerment. While acknowledging the ATC room as a restricted area, the court found insufficient grounds to charge the MPs under Section 441 (criminal trespass) of the Indian Penal Code.

The FIR, filed following an investigation by the CID, alleged the MPs pressured ATC personnel to allow their flight’s takeoff despite the airport’s lack of night operation capabilities. The High Court had initially quashed the FIR due to the lack of prior sanction from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), as required under Section 12B of the Aircraft Act.

The Supreme Court, while upholding the High Court’s decision to quash the FIR, allowed Jharkhand Police to submit any collected evidence to the appropriate authorities under the Aircraft Act within one month. These authorities will then independently decide whether to file a complaint against the MPs.

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