Kerala HC grants anticipatory bail to Ayesha Sulthana in sedition case

Lakshadweep film personality Ayesha Sulthana, who was granted interim bail by the Kerala High Court earlier this month, on Friday got anticipatory bail in a sedition case charged against her by the Kavaratti police.

A complaint was registered by Lakshadweep BJP's unit president Abdul Khader against Sulthana as she had in a TV channel debate on June 7 said that the Centre used biological weapons for spreading Covid in Lakshadweep, which according to the complainant was anti-national.

The Kavaratti police had registered a case against Sulthana with non-bailable charges and asked her to appear before the police on June 20.

It was then she applied for anticipatory bail and then the court granted her interim bail and directed the police that in case she needs to be arrested she should be given bail immediately.

She reached the island and appeared before the police and by now she has been interrogated for three days.

"I have appeared before the police and they behave to me very well and I have no issues with them. I had full faith in the judiciary. When I realised what I had said, I had immediately apologised for my mistake," said Sulthana after hearing the news that she had been given anticipatory bail.

The notice that was served on Sulthana by Sub-Inspector Ameer Bin Mohammed contains charges under 124 A and 153 B of the CrPC, both of which are non-bailable offences.

Incidentally, following the move by Khader, several BJP leaders and workers in the island have resigned from the party.

Sulthana hails from Chelath Island in Lakshadweep, and is based here. Besides being a model, she has worked in various Malayalam films.