Sedition Case: Filmmaker Aisha Sultana appears before Lakshadweep Police

Filmmaker Aisha Sultana, who was booked under sedition charges for her ‘bio-weapon’ remark, appeared before the Lakshadweep police on Sunday.

In a relief to Sultana, the Kerala High Court had on Thursday granted her interim anticipatory bail for a week, while reserving orders on her anticipatory bail application. It had directed her to comply with the notice issued by Kavaratti police to appear before it for interrogation on June 20 in connection with the sedition case.

Lakshadweep Police had booked Sulthana on sedition charges on a complaint by a BJP Lashadweep wing president C Abdul Khader Haji that she spread false news about the spread of COVID-19 in the union territory during a TV debate.

Khader, in his complaint, said that Sulthana, during a debate in a Malayalam TV channel, had alleged that the Central government used biological weapons for the spread of COVID-19 in Lakshadweep.

The FIR against Sultana comes at a time when there is an uproar against Lakshadweep administrator Praful Khoda Patel over the new reforms introduced by him, which people allege are against the interest of the islanders.

People are protesting against the draft legislation like Lakshadweep Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation (Goonda Act), Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation, and Lakshadweep Panchayat Regulation, 2021 among others. Patel, who was appointed as the Administrator of Lakshadweep in December 2020, is facing opposition over policies introduced by him from the people of the union territory and politicians, both from within Lakshadweep and neighbouring state Kerala.