New Delhi:A Delhi court made it plain on Wednesday that it has not yet issued a summons to Kerala MLA K.T. Jaleel for his Facebook post in which he is accused of making disparaging statements regarding Kashmir.
With regard to the social media post in which Jaleel allegedly referred to Kashmir as "India Occupied Kashmir" and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) as "Azad Kashmir," Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal of Rouse Avenue Courts was handling a petition filed by attorney G.S. Mani.
In the order, the judge clarified that "it is made abundantly clear that this court has not summoned the accused K.T. Jaleel as yet, nor has it reached the stage of summoning."
"The matter is pending for orders on an application u/s 156 (3) Cr. PC. It is further made clear that till the time the order on the said application is passed, no opinion on merits has been placed on record," read the order.
Advocate Subhash Chandran K.R, appearing on behalf of Jaleel, said that he came to the knowledge of the present proceedings after reading about it in the Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi and Malayala Manorama and also on e-newspapers such as Mathrubhumi and Asianet etc.
He also placed on record the translations of these publications.
On the other hand, Mani has submitted that this is merely a bonafide mistake and he never intended the newspapers to believe that an FIR has actually been ordered.
Six media persons the regional media were also present in the court. They submitted that they would publish a corrigendum/apology for incorrect media reporting.
The matter will be next heard on September 16.
A controversy erupted after the Facebook post of Jaleel with the BJP and Congress demanding immediate action by the Kerala Chief Minister against the legislator, who is an Independent MLA supported by the Left.
It was reported last month that in the post written in Malayalam, the Kerala MLA reportedly said, "The part of Kashmir annexed to Pakistan was known as 'Azad Kashmir' and it was an area where the Pakistan government does not have direct control."
Jaleel was a minister in the previous CPI-M-led LDF government in Kerala.
With inputs from IANS