sedition charges shot down.

Post colonial thinking . finally ! From  a Court of Law. Judiciary zindabad

Observing that Trivedi's arrest was prima facie "arbitrary", the court said, "We have one Aseem Trivedi who was courageous enough to raise his voice and stand against this, but what about several others whose voices are shut by police."

 

Noting that the police would have to satisfy the court as to how the sedition charge was applied against the young cartoonist, the judges said they intended to lay down certain parameters for application of the law of sedition.

 

"If there are no parameters there will be serious encroachment of a person's liberties guaranteed to him in a civil society," the bench said.

 

It said the sedition law was a pre-independence provision when government wanted protection from the citizens.

 

"What is the government's stand now? Does it intend to drop the charge? someone has to take political responsibility for this. Why did the police not apply its mind before arresting him on sedition charges," the court wanted to know.

 

Directing the police to file a comprehensive affidavit by October 12 explaining the grounds on which the charge of sedition was applied, the court said, "Today you attacked a cartoonist, tomorrow you will attack a filmmaker and then a writer. We live in a free society and everyone has freedom of speech and expression."

 

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/MAH-MUM-bombay-hc-raps-police-for-arresting-cartoonist-aseem-trivedi-3787115-NOR.html