Now Reading: Kapil Sibal slams court for denying bail to ex-TISS students
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Kapil Sibal slams court for denying bail to ex-TISS students
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday said the denial of anticipatory bail to two former TISS students shows the government's intolerance and the state of the judiciary. A Mumbai court on…
The Story in Brief
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday said the denial of anticipatory bail to two former TISS students shows the government's intolerance and the state of the judiciary. A Mumbai court on Friday rejected bail for Kamakhya Das and Abhirup Paul, who held an unauthorised campus gathering to pay homage to late professor G.N. Saibaba and raised slogans for undertrials Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.
Seven other students got pre-arrest bail. The court said paying homage is not illegal, but the slogans and material found, including books from a banned Maoist group, raised doubts. It also noted that Das and Paul allegedly deleted data and that Paul tried to spread Maoist ideology. Sibal, an independent MP, said the case raises questions about intolerance and the judiciary.
The Indian Opinion
Both sides have rushed to polarise this case. Critics paint it as proof of a cowed judiciary, ignoring that the judge granted bail to seven of nine accused and gave detailed reasons for denying the other two. Supporters see a Maoist conspiracy in every slogan, forgetting that Saibaba was acquitted before his death and peaceful homage is not a crime. The real test will be whether the higher courts or a fair trial separate legitimate dissent from unlawful intent on the evidence, not on slogans.
Sources (4): hindustantimes.com, thehindu.com, nationalheraldindia.com, deccanherald.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
