Delhi court to decide if FIR can be lodged against Arundhati, Geelani

A Delhi court is likely to decide on Saturday whether criminal proceedings can be initiated against hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and writer-activist Arundhati Roy on charge of sedition for their alleged anti-India statements.


Metropolitan Magistrate Navita Kumari Bagha, who pulled up the police for failing to submit proper status report on the complaint filed with them in October 38 by Sushil Pandit seeking registration of FIR against Roy and Geelani, reserved the order on the complaint filed with the court after hearing arguments of Pandit's counsel.
Besides Geelani and Roy, the complaint sought prosecution of five others, including Delhi University professor S A R Geelani, who was acquitted in Parliament attack case, and Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a professor of Jammu and Kashmir University.
"The accused had crossed all the limits of freedom of expression and incited the people to rebellion against Indian state by saying that Kashmir was never a part of India. Their conduct fell within the definition of offences described under the IPC and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act," advocate Vikas Pador, who represented Pandit, submitted before the court.