SC asks widow to file fresh plea

Gulbahar Bibi, wife of 50-year-old Mohammed Bhatta Sheikh, is also seeking a direction that the video of her husband's ghastly murder and setting him ablaze be withdrawn from the internet and social media sites.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra allowed senior lawyer Indira Jaising, counsel for Bibi, to withdraw the present plea and file a "better petition" and asked the apex court registry to list the

fresh one for hearing on February 5.

"File a properly drafted petition. We allow the present writ petition to be withdrawn with the liberty to file a fresh one," the bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said.

Earlier, the top court had termed as "horrendous" the video of the Muslim labourer being hacked and burnt alive in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district on December 6 last year.

Sheikh's widow is seeking an impartial Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the dastardly murder, besides withdrawal of the video from being circulated on the internet.

The top court had said it would consider issuing appropriate directions, but asked Bibi's counsel to file a "properly-worded" petition as the present one was "poorly drafted". Jaising had then said the video has already been seen by millions of people and a direction be issued to the Centre and the state government to ensure that it was not circulated any further and withdrawn from the internet.