Police cut short quizzing cartoonist Aseem Trivedi (Lead)
September 10th, 2012 - 7:15 pm ICT by IANS
Mumbai, Sep 10 (IANS) Barely a day after a cartoonist Aseem Trivedi was sent to seven days police custody after being arrested on sedition charges, investigators cut short his questioning and presented him in a Mumbai court Monday. He was sent to judicial custody till Sep 24, an activist said.
Trivedi, 25, an anti-corruption campaigner, is accused of uploading “ugly and obscene” matter on his web portal and putting up objectionable banners insulting the constitution during Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption agitation here last December.
He was nabbed by police from Bandra-Kurla after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him. A Bandra magistrate Sunday sent him to seven days police custody.
Police, however, questioned him for a day and decided not to grill him any further. The sudden turnaround by police on the duration of Trivedi’s custodial interrogation came after a furore over his arrest late Saturday.
Trivedi faces sedition charge under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, along with other offences under the Information Technology Act.
An India Against Corruption (IAC) activist said the cartoonist Monday was also permitted to briefly meet his lawyer and social workers who have been protesting against his arrest.
In Nashik, Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil earlier assured reporters that Trivedi would not remain in police custody after investigations in the case were completed.
“Aseem told us that he is prepared to remain in custody for as long as required and would not appoint a lawyer or seek bail until the charge of sedition slapped on him were dropped,” IAC member Preeti Menon told IANS.
The IAC demanded that Trivedi should be released unconditionally and all the charges against him, including the baseless sedition charge, must be dropped.
In New Delhi, Press Council of India chairman Markandey Katju termed the sedition charge against Trivedi as “stupid” and demanded action against politicians and police responsible for arresting the cartoonist.
A statement issued by the IAC said that Trivedi’s harassment “smacks of vendetta against the anti-corruption movement, and portrays sign of a paranoid state”.
“IAC firmly stands for freedom of expression and expresses its anguish against a growing culture of intolerance for creative expression in the public domain,” the statement added.
- Cartoonist Trivedi's questioning cut short, sent to judicial custody (Second Lead) - Sep 10, 2012
- Anna's cartoonist supporter sent to police custody - Sep 09, 2012
- Aseem Trivedi walks out of jail (Lead) - Sep 12, 2012
- SIT to investigate cartoonist Trivedi's case - Sep 13, 2012
- Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi released (Second Lead) - Sep 12, 2012
- Release cartoonist Trivedi or face protest: Kejriwal - Sep 11, 2012
- Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi gets bail, refuses freedom till charge dropped (Lead) - Sep 11, 2012
- IAC demands cartoonist Aseem Trivedi's release - Sep 10, 2012
- Explain sedition charges against cartoonist, court tells police - Sep 14, 2012
- Cartoonist sent to judicial custody, government faces flak on issue (Roundup) - Sep 10, 2012
- Police end quizzing cartoonist Aseem Trivedi - Sep 10, 2012
- IAC demands cartoonist Trivedi's release - Sep 10, 2012
- Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi to be released Wednesday - Sep 12, 2012
- Cartoonist Trivedi gets bail, refuses to be freed till charges dropped (Second Lead) - Sep 11, 2012
- Press Council chief slams sedition charge against cartoonist - Sep 10, 2012
Tags: agitation, anna hazare, bailable, campaigner, cartoonist, custodial interrogation, furore, home minister, indian penal code, information technology act, judicial custody, kurla, magistrate, mumbai court, new delhi press, obscene matter, police custody, press council of india, sedition charges, social workers