A Tamil Nadu court on Tuesday granted bail to writer Badri Seshadri, who was arrested last week for making alleged derogatory remarks about the judiciary, The Hindu reported.
Seshadri was arrested on July 29 after he had made remarks about the judiciary and Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud during an interview uploaded on a YouTube channel.
In the interview, Seshadri, while discussing the ethnic violence in Manipur, had criticised the Supreme Court’s observation in the case of the sexual assault of three Kuki women in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on May 4.
A lawyer based in the Perambalur district, Kaviyarasu, had filed a police complaint on the basis of which he was arrested and subsequently remanded to judicial custody till August 11. Kaviyarasu had alleged that he was disturbed by Seshadri’s views on the judiciary.
The writer was booked under Sections 153 (provocation with the intent to cause rioting), 153A (promoting enmity) and 505(1) (b) (statement conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.
On Tuesday, the court granted Seshadri bail on the condition that he should report to the Srirangam Police Station in Tiruchi daily for 15 days. The court rejected a request from the Perambalur Police to take him into their custody.
After the order, Seshadri was taken back to the Tiruchi Central Prison. He will be released after completing bail formalities.
A day after his arrest, the Madras Reporters Collective had urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to ensure Seshadri’s immediate release.
The collective had said that there was no need to arrest the writer for his comments, no matter how unpalatable or derogatory they may be. It said that the government had the option to file a case and let the law take its course, rather than take recourse to arrest.
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