UAPA: govt's opportunist stance out in the open

Thiruvananthapuram: Pinarayi government's opportunist stance in imposing UAPA becomes all the more evident.

Following the latest development in Alan- Thaha case, calls are getting stronger urging the government to revoke UAPA imposed on political prisoners.

However, the government is rather going in for continual legal actions including in cases disposed by courts.

The government moved Supreme Court in three cases—already disposed by the High Court without trial— registered in Kozhikode district against Maoist leader Roopesh. The cases will be considered on September 21.

Of the 26 cases against him in the state, all except one are being probed by Kerala's Internal Security Investigation Team (ISIT). Charge sheet has been submitted in at least 18 cases following Investigation.

Meanwhile, Roopesh raised in the High Court the point that the sanction granted to prosecute as per in UAPA law had not been observed. Following which three cases had been excluded from trial.

Fearing backlash in other cases as well, the home department formed Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) thus subverting the bail move.

Roopesh has been in jail for the past five years. Those facing UAPA cases have flimsy rights to bail; and it is alleged the government is denying even that as well.

CPM's opportunist politics is evident in UAPA cases, says activist Thushar Nirmal Sarathy

Police blocked Danish from coming out of jail after receiving bail in UAPA case by slapping new case on him.

The government approached the Supreme Court against the High Court order of a compensation of rupees one lakh for Shyam Balakrishan who was unreasonably jailed in a UAPA case.

The VS Achuthandan government in 2006 was the first to impose UAPA in the state in Panayikulam case and the court released all the accused in the case.

Later, UAPA was imposed in 2007 on editor of Peoples March Govindan Kutty, and the trail in the case has not been started.