Drop sedition charge against cartoonist Assem Trivedi

Bowing to public pressure and criticism from the court, the Maharashtra government on Friday informed the Bombay High Court that it has decided to drop sedition charge against cartoonist Aseem Trivedi for allegedly insulting national symbols.

“After having a close look at the case, it can be seen that there is clearly no case under section 124(a) of IPC for sedition. Hence the government has decided to drop invocation of the charge against Trivedi,” Advocate General Darius Khambata told the court.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice N M Jamdar was hearing a public interest litigation filed by a lawyer Sanskar Marathe against the arrest of Trivedi for sedition for drawing cartoons that allegedly insulted national emblem and Parliament.

The court had at earlier hearings granted bail to Trivedi and come down heavily on the police for arresting the cartoonist on “frivolous grounds” and “without application of mind”.

The court had observed that the police action “breached” the political cartoonist's “freedom of speech and expression”.

Khambata, however, told the court that out of the seven cartoons drawn by Trivedi the state had found violations in three cartoons.

“Three cartoons we still find are violative of the National Honour Act and Information Technology Act. Proceedings in this will continue against him,” Khambata said.

He further said the police action against the cartoonist was a “bonafide knee jerk reaction” to the numerous complaints received by them against the cartoons.

“Arresting him was bad enough but police sought his custody also. That was more shocking,” Chief Justice Shah said.