New Delhi: The BJP has appointed former Madhya Pradesh High Court Judge Rohit Arya as the party’s coordinator for the state’s one nation, one election committee.
Justice Arya, who joined the BJP in July last year – three months after he retired – was appointed to the post along with Pushyamitra Bhargava by BJP Madhya Pradesh Chief Vishnu Dutt Sharma, reported The Indian Express.
Prior to his retirement, Justice Arya presided over several cases where his judgments had grabbed headlines and in some instances have also been criticised.
Back in 2021, he had denied bail to comedians Munawar Faruqui and Nalin Yadav, who were accused of hurting religious statements and violating Covid-19 protocols during an event in Indore.
“Outraging religious feelings of a class of citizens of India with deliberate intendment” were made by the applicants, Justice Arya had said in his order.
His decision to grant bail to a man accused of outraging a woman’s modesty on the condition that he presents himself before the complainant on Rakshabandhan and ties her Rakhi was also met with heavy criticism.
Later, the Supreme Court had overturned the decision which had issued directives to lower courts for handling bail petitions in cases pertaining to crimes against women.