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Kerala HC grants bail to Lakshadweep filmmaker Aisha Sultana
Sultana was last week granted interim bail and she appeared before the police in Lakshadweep for questioning in the case on Sunday
The Kerala high court on Friday granted anticipatory bail to filmmaker Aisha Sultana in the sedition case filed against her for her comments against Lakshadweep administrator Praful Khoda Patel.
Sultana was last week granted interim bail and she appeared before the police in Lakshadweep for questioning in the case on Sunday. She moved the high court, which has jurisdiction over Lakshadweep, after police on June 11 registered the case against her for her alleged bio-weapon remark against Patel during a TV debate.
Lakshadweep Bharatiya Janata Party chief C Abdul Khadar Haji filed the case against her saying her remarks were in a bad taste. Sultana regretted her use of words.
The Lakshadweep administration and the Centre opposed Sultana’s bail plea saying her comments were “used by many foreign journals” to show the country in a poor light.
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Sultana’s comments came amid protests in Lakshadweep over the new rules and proposals introduced in the region. Opponents of the measures say they are “anti-people” and threaten their livelihoods. Some of the measures provide for the removal or relocation of islanders from their property for town planning and detentions without trial for up to a year. Other proposals include a ban on cow slaughter.
The opponents say the measures “will affect the unique culture and tradition” of the island. They allege they will destroy the region’s character and identity since 97% of the islands are covered by pristine forests and 95% of its Muslim population belongs to the protected scheduled tribe category.
The administration has justified the norms saying they will boost tourism in Lakshadweep. It informed the court on Thursday that Sultana flouted the interim protection granted to her. It said she met many people in violation of Covid-19 protocols and also spoke to the media. She also visited a panchayat office and attended some functions in Lakshadweep before returning to Kochi, where she lives.
