Three months after she was arrested for saying 'Pakistan Zindabad' thrice on stage, the Karnataka government has once again opposed the bail of Bengaluru-based student Amulya Leona. The government has called the college student an 'influential person' and opposed her bail plea before the Karnataka High Court.
“The Petitioner being an influential person may threaten and influence the witnesses and hamper the case of the prosecution. The petitioner fleeing from justice is also not ruled out. In the facts and circumstances of the case, the Petitioner is not entitled for the relief of bail at the hands of this Hon’ble Court,” reads the 11th and final point of the state government’s submission made on Monday objecting to her bail application.
It may be recalled that Amulya was arrested on February 20 and booked for sedition and other sections after saying 'Pakistan Zindabad' in an anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act rally in Bengaluru where AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi was the chief guest. She then went on to say “Hindustan Zindabad,” and tried to make a point, but she was not allowed to do so.
An FIR was registered against her under sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups and imputations) and 153 B (assertions prejudicial to national integration) at the Upparpet Police Station in the city and she was arrested.
In one of the points of objection raised by the government, it has been said that “law and order came to be disturbed in the state on account of sloganeering by the petitioner."
“Immediately after the incident several organisations and people came on the road to protest against the Petitioner which led to law and order problems. Few such incidents have happened immediately after the incident. On 20.02.2020 itself immediately after the arrest of the Petitioner, the Karnataka Dalitha Sangarsha Samithi protested against the Petitioner to take proper legal action against her. On 21.02.2020, Hindu Jana Jagruthi Samithi and some other Organisations protested against the Petitioner in front of Town Hall peacefully,” the government’s submission read.
In the same submission to the Karnataka High Court, the government has cited many technicalities and argued that the High Court should not entertain the bail plea.
At first, the state government in its submission said that since her bail petition is pending before the trial court, the present “parallel petition is not maintainable”.
Further the government said under trial prisoners facing trial with an imprisonment up to 7 years or less shall be tried by the concerned Jurisdictional District and Session Court designated for the same during the lockdown period as decided by the Supreme Court and the High Powered Committee of the Karnataka High Court.
Incidentally, on April 24, the Karnataka HC had observed that there was no prima facie case of sedition in the incident involving three students who were arrested for allegedly raising slogans in support of Pakistan. The students from Jammu and Kashmir were arrested by Huballi police after a video of them singing to a controversial song had gone viral.
However, those three students arrested in mid-February continue to remain in jail as the High Court is still hearing their bail petition.