Acting on Varun Gandhi’s plea seeking quashing of the National Security Act slapped against him, the Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and the District Magistrate of Pilibhit, seeking their response on the issue.

Varun in his plea had contended that the Mayawati led UP government had filed a case under the NSA only to ruin his political career.

The court has posted the matter to April 13 for further hearing.

“We have also requested the court to release Varun Gandhi so that he can campaign and file his nomination for the Lok Sabha polls. The court has thus posted the hearing to April 13,” said Varun’s counsel.

Varun has been kept under preventive detention by the Uttar Pradesh government under the National Security Act for his alleged inflammatory speech in Pilibhit. He is currently lodged in the Etah jail under tight security following intelligence reports about threat to his life.

The Barkhedha police station in Pilibhit registered the case on March 17 on a direction from the Election Commission under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between classes and 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated) of the IPC and Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Mr. Gandhi approached the High Court as there was no provision for grant of anticipatory bail in the Criminal Procedure Code in U.P.

Justice Reva Khetrapal said that in case Mr. Gandhi was arrested, he would be released on bail on his furnishing a bail bond for Rs. 50,000.

However, protection from arrest would be available to Mr. Gandhi only till March 27, when the court takes up the matter for hearing to decide whether it has the jurisdiction to consider the case as the place of occurrence of the crime is outside Delhi.

The Allahabad High Court is expected to take up Mr. Gandhi’s petition seeking quashing of the criminal case against him.

Earlier, the Delhi government counsel submitted that the High Court did not have the jurisdiction in the matter.

The court issued notice to the U.P. police, asking them to file a reply to Mr. Gandhi’s plea by March 27.

Counsel for Mr. Gandhi mentioned the petition before a Bench headed by Chief Justice A. P. Shah for early listing. The matter is posted for Friday before Justice Reva Khetrapal.

The petitioner said he apprehended arrest by the Uttar Pradesh police. As there was no provision to seek anticipatory bail in that State, the petition was filed in the Delhi High Court. There was a conspiracy to mar his chances of winning the Lok Sabha elections by attributing the speech to him and that the tapes were doctored.

The petitioner said, “There is no likelihood of the applicant absconding or fleeing from justice. If bail is not allowed, he will suffer irreparable consequences and great prejudice would cause to him.” He was ready to cooperate in the investigation.

An FIR was lodged against Mr. Gandhi on March 17 at the Barkheda Police Station under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act. It accused Mr. Gandhi of delivering an inciting speech on March 8, causing insecurity in the minds of a community.

Mr. Gandhi also filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court seeking a direction to quash the FIR which, he claimed, was a result of a political conspiracy to spoil his political career and tarnish his secular image.

He alleged that the video footage of a public meeting, on the basis of which the Election Commission took the action, was tampered with and did not contain his voice. No date was fixed for hearing of the case.