Aseem Trivedi: "My Cartoons Will Now Spew More Venom"

Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, who was arrested on sedition charges, said he would continue to draw cartoons that raise issues like corruption, as people in large numbers thronged the railway station to receive him.

Trivedi, who belongs to Shuklaganj in adjoining Unnao district, was received by his parents and hordes of supporters who took him in a procession to his hometown.

The cartoonist, arrested on September 8 and released on September 12, said at the railway station that he would continue to oppose corruption through his cartoons, which he said would now spew more venom.

Century Fox News: ACP led team will verify the case against Aseem Trivedi

He said it was his mission to root out corruption from the country.

“Anna Hazare has said it is fortunate to go to jail for the sake of your country. I had gone to jail to remove corruption from the country and hence there was no reason to repent or be afraid of,” he said.

The 25-year-old cartoonist was arrested under IPC Section 124 (sedition), Section 66 A of Information Technology Act and Section 2 of Prevention of Insults to Nation Honour Act. He was released after Bombay High Court granted him bail.

The freelancer has been accused of putting up banners mocking the Constitution during a rally of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare late last year and posting the same on his website.

Trivedi was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by a member of Republican Party of India.

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ACP-Led Team To Verify Entire Case Against Aseem Trivedi

The Mumbai Police have ordered a probe by the Assistant Commissioner of Police to investigate the charges against cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, Mumbai Additional Commissioner of Police (West Region) Vishwas Nangre-Patil toldThe Hindu here on Thursday.

“The investigation has been transferred to ACP G.T. Padwal. Three officers have been assigned for his aid. The team will verify the entire case once again,” Mr. Nangre-Patil said.

He said the main purpose of the team was to verify the cartoonist’s intention behind drawing the cartoons.

Century Fox News: Debate and outrage over cartoonist Aseem Trivedi's arrest

“The team will verify all the details of the case. Especially the intention behind drawing the cartoons will be taken very seriously,” he said.

Dalit leaders had alleged that Mr. Trivedi, who has been booked under sedition charges, insulted and hurt their feelings by allegedly mocking Buddhist symbols (the Ashoka pillar was depicted in a cartoon by Mr. Trivedi).

ACP G.T. Padwal told The Hindu that the team, after thorough investigation, would submit a report to the court.

“It is wrong to call it an SIT [Special Investigation Team]. It is not an SIT. I have been assigned the task of seeing if there are any lacunae in the investigation made by the Bandra-Kurla police so far. Since I do not have much staff under me, I have been assigned a few officers,” he said.

Senior police officials said the department would think of reviewing and revoking the sedition charges slapped on the cartoonist only after the probe was completed.

“Since it is a serious offence, its review and verification will take some time. We will come to the conclusion of revoking the charges after that,” Mr. Nangre-Patil said. He said the report would be separate from the charge sheet, which would be filed in the case.

“I will verify if proper Sections have been applied in the case. We will keep informing our seniors from time to time about the findings in the case, but we will submit the report before the court,” Mr. Padwal said.

Mr. Trivedi, who was released on bail on Wednesday, has been booked for sedition and under Sections of the Information Technology Act and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act. His website too has been banned by the Mumbai Police.

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Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi May Walk Out Of Jail Today

Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, facing sedition charges, was on Tuesday granted bail by the Bombay high court and his associate said he will walk out of the Arthur Road jail on Wednesday. Trivedi will come out of jail on Wednesday at around 3 pm, India Against Corruption (IAC) member Mayank Gandhi said outside the prison after meeting Trivedi.

Gandhi, who met the cartoonist in the jail on Tuesday night, said the prison authorities have received the court order related to bail.

The Kanpur-based artist was initially reluctant to come out of jail unless all charges levelled against him are dropped, the IAC member said.

However, since state home minister RR Patil has promised to get the sedition charge dropped and to show respect to the court Trivedi has decided to come out of jail, Gandhi said.

Patil had earlier told reporters that he would seek the opinion of the Law department on the sedition charge.

"After getting the details, we shall take a decision on the issue of withdrawing the sedition charge on the cartoonist," he said.

The high court while granting him bail observed that if drawing cartoons was the only allegation against him, then his custody was not required.

The division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Nitin Jamdar directed Trivedi to be released on execution of a personal bail-bond of Rs. 5,000.

The bail order was passed by the bench upon a public interest litigation by city-based lawyer Sanskar Marathe, who sought Trivedi's release because his arrest was "illegal, bad in law, and unjustified".

Earlier on Tuesday, the HC had granted an hour's time to the state government to seek instructions from higher police officials as to why the government should oppose the bail.

But additional Public Prosecutor Purnima Kantharia later told the court that officers were in a meeting with the chief minister, and were not immediately available.

She had also argued that the high court had no "locus" (jurisdiction) to grant bail, and if the accused wished, he could move the magistrate's court. Also, the probe in the case was on, she had said.

The bench, however, refused to accept her argument and said, "He can be released on a personal bond."

The court posted the PIL for further hearing on September 17, to decide whether sedition charge was applicable. The police were directed to file their reply before it.

Marathe's PIL contends that Trivedi's cartoons cannot, by any stretch of imagination, be said to attract the serious charge of sedition.

"The right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (g) of the Indian Constitution will be under a serious threat if social activists and cartoonists are arrested on sedition charges," the petition said.

Trivedi was arrested on Saturday for allegedly depicting the national emblem and the Parliament in bad light in his cartoons during the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare here December 2011 and later for posting them on his website.

The Mumbai police action sparked an outrage in the media and public cirlces on grounds of violating freedom of expression.

Under fire, the police after getting a week's custody of Trivedi on Sunday produced him before the court within 24 hours, saying it has completed his interrogation and no longer required him. The cartoonist was yesterday sent to jail till September 24. He refused to seek bail.

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Debate, Outrage Over Cartoonist Aseem's Arrest

Kanpur-based cartoonist Aseem Trivedi who was arrested on charges of posting seditious contents on his website is seen outside a Mumbai court. PTI

The arrest of cartoonist Aseem Trivedi for allegedly displaying questionable caricatures of Parliament, the national emblem and the Constitution has sparked outrage among people.
Aseem was remanded to police custody till September 16 after being produced before a holiday court on Sunday.

His arrest has been criticised by voices from across the board. Aseem's family and other anti-corruption activists criticised the move claiming there was nothing unpatriotic about his cartoons.

"My son has done no wrong. He was only expressing his opinion and certain people have misunderstood his work. He was only showing how corruption has plagued the system. Only the truth," said Ashok Trivedi, Aseem Trivedi's father.

Justice Markandey Katju, Press Council of India chairman, on Sunday defended Aseem Trivedi saying the cartoonist has done nothing illegal.

"My opinion is that the cartoonist did nothing illegal. In a democracy many things are said, some truthful and others false," Katju said in a statement.

To drive home his point, Katju recalled his own words as a judge and said he used to often say in court that people can call him a fool or crook inside the court or outside but he will never initiate contempt of court proceedings, because either the allegation is true, "in which case I deserve it, or it is false, in which case I will ignore it".

"These are occupational hazards, and politicians, like judges, must learn to put up with them," Katju said.

He maintained that arresting a cartoonist or any other person who has not committed a crime is itself a crime under the Indian Penal Code as it is a wrongful arrest and wrongful confinement.

Aseem's arrest is a curb on a citizen's freedom of expression and charging him with sedition is outrageous, lawyers also said.

"Trivedi is not dishonouring anything, he is expressing his ideologies and viewpoints through his cartoons. Only people of low intellect don't understand that. His arrest is a complete curb on freedom of expression," Mahesh Jethmalani, criminal lawyer, said.

An IAC spokesperson alleged Trivedi "was badly roughed up and pushed into the police vehicle where his head banged against the vehicle body".

"We are shocked at the way an artist and activist is being treated by police. The IAC Mumbai will always support freedom of expression which is the right of every individual given to us by the constitution," the spokesperson said.

Social Media was also abuzz after Aseem's arrest with everyone criticising his arrest and pledging full support to him.

Everyone took to Twitter to show their protest and support to the cartoonist. A message was also circulated on Twitter insisting Twiterrati to change their display picture to the cartoon (depicting national emblem as wollf) for which Aseem was booked.

Music Director Vishal Dadlani changed his display picture and tweeted, "It is an artist's duty to be a mirror to the Nation. #AseemTrivedi has done no wrong by showing the tragic state of India. #FreeAseem".

Kiran Bedi on her tweet said, "Cartoons are an expression of reality. Instead of reacting by use of state power, why not consider these as an opportunity to reflect?"

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