Court asks cops to report back on plaint against Arundhati Roy, Geelani

A Delhi court asked police on Wednesday to file a report on a complaint seeking prosecution of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and writer Arundhati Roy for making alleged seditious statements.

“The station house officer [SHO] of the police station concerned is directed to file a status report by November 16,” metropolitan magistrate Navita Kumari Bagha said.

Earlier, Vikas Padora, counsel for complainant Sushil Pandit, submitted that a prima facie case of sedition was made out against the accused as they had openly challenged the integrity and authority of the government of India.

“Being a citizen of this country, the complainant is duly empowered by the constitution to seek registration of an FIR against the accused for various offences against the nation,” Padora said.

The complaint filed under section 156 (3) of CrPC seeks registration of an FIR or a direction to police to file a report after probing Geelani and Roy’s alleged anti-India statements at a recent seminar in New Delhi.

The complainant said he was forced to move court since the government failed to initiate action against the accused.

Besides Geelani and Roy, the complaint has sought prosecution of five others, including Delhi University professor SAR Geelani, who was acquitted in the parliament attack case.