Osmania University prof held for alleged links with Maoists
Telangana police on Saturday arrested an associate professor of the Osmania University on charges of alleged links with Maoist but hours later the High Court directed the police to produce him before the Chief Justice on Sunday. The High Court directed Siddipet district police to produce Chintikindi Kasim before Chief Justice Justice R. S. Chauhan at his residence on Sunday morning.
The Chief Justice gave the direction after the Civil Liberties Association moved a house motion challenging the arrest of Kasim.
The petitioner submitted to the Chief Justice that Kasim was arrested in a case registered in 2016.
The Chief Justice wondered as to how the police could say Kasim was absconding, when he was attending to his duties regularly and taking classes.
He also wanted to know if they had obtained permission from the Osmania University vice-chancellor for the arrest.
When the police informed the court that they would produce Kasim before a court at Gajwel on Sunday, the Chief Justice directed them to produce him at his residence at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday.
The police earlier conducted searches at the residence of Kasim at Osmania University staff quarters and took him into custody. Police seized books, computer hard disk and mobile phone.
An associate professor in the department of Telugu, Kasim was recently elected as secretary of Revolutionary Writers Association Virasam. He is also the editor of a Telugu newspaper 'Nadusthunna Telangana' (contemporary Telangana).
His arrest sparked protest by students who took out a rally on the campus, demanding his immediate release. The police arrested few protestors and shifted them to a police station.
Communist Party of India (CPI) secretary K. Narayana alleged that the government is deliberately harassing intellectuals on the pretext of having Maoist connection and registering false cases against them.
Police had reportedly arrested him in connection with a case registered against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Mulugu police station in 2016. He was charged with working as a courier for Maoists.
Kasim's wife Sneha Latha alleged that the police entered the house by breaking open the door. She said a false case was registered against Kasim in 2016 based on books recovered from a passenger travelling from Hyderabad to Adilabad.
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