The Kerala High Court on Friday, 25 June, granted anticipatory bail to filmmaker Aisha Sultana, in connection with a sedition case filed against her, reported LiveLaw.
The filmmaker had moved the Kerala High Court after she was booked on charges of sedition following her criticism of Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Khoda Patel and her “bioweapon” remark.
The Lakshadweep Police had filed an FIR against her on 8 June after a complaint by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lakshadweep President C Abdul Khader Haji alleged that she spread "false news about the spread of COVID-19" in the Union Territory during a TV debate.
Sultana had been asked to appear before the Kavaratti Police Station on 20 June which prompted the bail application.
What Has Happened So Far?
The High Court had on 17 June, granted interim anticipatory bail for one week to Sultana in connection with the case; after which, the single-judge Bench of Justice Ashok Menon also asked the filmmaker to cooperate and appear before the police for interrogation.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, 24 June, Sultana was let off by the Lakshadweep Police after she appeared for interrogation in connection with the sedition case filed against her, reported The Indian Express.
After her interrogation on Thursday, Sultana reportedly said, “Everything is over. I am told that I can go back to Kochi. I will reach Kochi tomorrow or a day after.”
Sultana had been questioned by the Kavaratti Police on 20, 23, and 24 June in connection with the allegations of sedition levelled against her.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Sultana had undergone an eight-hour-long interrogation on Wednesday, 23 June, during which her social media accounts were examined.
“They checked my WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook accounts. They were searching whether I have any links with foreign countries,” Sultana said.
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