Asif Ali, member of the 9th ward of Kavaratti panchayat, who was arrested by the Kavaratti police on charge of making a provocative social media post targeting Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Khoda Patel, has been accorded conditional bail by the Amini Chief Judicial Magistrate Court.
Mr. Ali, a member of the youth wing of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), made the post on Saturday evening challenging Mr. Patel to be brave enough to face the stir against his alleged highhanded policies. This was after it emerged that Mr. Patel would not be in Lakshadweep on March 21 when the NCP protest was planned.
The post did not go down well with the Administration and Mr. Ali was picked up from his house by the police in the early morning hours of Sunday. A case was registered against him invoking among others non-bailable charges, including Indian Penal Code Section 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
“I don’t plan to moderate my response in the face of the persecution. There is no compromise against the unilateral measures of the Lakshadweep Administration,” said Mr. Ali. He was released on two sureties for ₹35,000 and on the condition that he appear at Kavaratti police station on all Sundays for the next two months.
Shortly after the arrest, another case was registered against Mr. Ali and those who had turned up to accord a reception to him in violation of the prohibitory orders in place in Lakshadweep under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The case was registered invoking IPC Section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).
The NCP planned to organise a protest march to the Lakshadweep Administration’s headquarters in Kavaratti later in March, when Mr. Khoda was expected to arrive, said Mr. Ali.
