The
Kerala High court on Tuesday quashed the case registered against Swiss national
Jonathan Baud, who had been arrested by the Kerala police suspecting him to be
a Maoist. He had allegedly attended a public meeting held to commemorate a
suspected Maoist leader.
The
High Court flayed the approach of the Kerala police, which several times failed
to explain before the Court about the alleged crime committed by the Swiss
youth.
A student of
International Economic History at Paul Bairoch Institute of Economic History in
Geneva, Baud was arrested by the Kerala police, who suspected him to be a
Maoist as he had attended a public meeting held for Maoist leader Sinoj at his
native place Thriprayar in Thrissur on July 28.
Baud and his friend Valerie were on
tourist visa in India since July 1. While in Kozhikode on July 25, he saw a
newspaper report about the commemorative meeting held for Maoist leader Sinoj
at his native place Thriprayar in Thrissur. He went to Thriprayar and attended
the meeting on July 28.
As the presence of a foreigner created
curiosity in the meeting, he introduced himself. Post-meeting, he was arrested
by police, who suspected him to be a Maoist. He was later grilled by IB and state
intelligence officials.
Post-arrest,
he was remanded in judicial custody, but was released on bail after 12 days.
Later, he moved the Kerala High Court, seeking an order to quash the case registered
against him. When the Prosecution stuck to the stand that Baud had violated
visa conditions by addressing the gathering, the Court watched the video of his
address. After going through the Malayalam translation of his speech, the Court
had observed that there was nothing objectionable in the speech that demands
framing of the offence under section 14 (b) of the Foreigners Act.
Judge
P Ubaid, who quashed the FIR, observed that the police had abused the process
of law. He was a radical neither in India nor abroad, said the Court.
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