Lakshadweep filmmaker Aisha Sultana moves Kerala HC to seek anticipatory bail in sedition case

After BJP’s Lakshadweep unit president C Abdul Khader Haji’s complaint, a sedition case was recently filed against actor, filmmaker and film activist Aisha Sultana under Section 124 A of IPC (sedition) and 153 B (hate speech) at the Kavaratti police station for her “bio-weapon” comment. As per the latest development, Sultana has moved to the Kerala High Court today, 14 June seeking an anticipatory bail plea in the case filed against her. However, the decision is not yet out, reports The Hindu. Last week, the Lakshadweep Police booked her after she criticised Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Khoda Patel and commented that he has been used as a “bio-weapon” by the Centre on people living in Lakshadweep islands. During a debate on a news channel, she blamed Patel and his decisions for the surge in COVID-19 cases on the island. “Lakshadweep had zero cases of COVID-19. Now, it is reporting a daily spike of 100 cases. What the Centre has deployed is a bioweapon. I can say this clearly that the central government has deployed bioweapon,” she had said. In return, after hearing her statements, angry BJP workers protested against her and accused her of “tarnishing the patriotic image of the central government”. Later in a long Facebook post, Sultana shared that she will continue her fight and added that the “truth will win”. Due to the mandatory quarantine and various other COVID protocols, there were no cases of COVID-19 in Lakshadweep for almost a year before Patel took charge as the administrator last year in December. As per reports, he changed the SOPs due to which Lakshadweep witnessed an increase in the number of coronavirus cases. Since then, people from the island as well as neighbouring state Kerala are criticising him for his decisions. Praful has also been facing protests against legislations like Lakshadweep Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation (Goonda Act) and Lakshadweep Panchayat Regulation, 2021 among others.