Kochi: The High Court on Friday quashed charges under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) registered against Roopesh, a Maoist leader arrested from Tamil Nadu in 2016, in three cases at Valayam and Kuttiyadi police stations in Kozh-ikode district. Quashing the UAPA charges the court has also observed the delay on the part of the state government in sanctioning prosecution of the accused in these cases.
The main charges against Ropeesh included distribution of leaflets of banned organiSation and being a member of the banned outfit. Valayam police has registered two cases and Kuttiyadi police one case against Roopesh under the above offences. The counsel for Roopesh submitted that his client was in custody from 2016 and there was no effort on part of the authorities concerned to sanction prosecution measures.
The Kozhikode sessions court has earlier dismissed a petition filed by Roopesh to exonerate him from the cases. The court has observed that sedition charges were also included in the charge-sheet against Roopesh in the cases registered by Valayam and Kuttiyadi police stations. Roopesh submitted that sedition charge against him was leveled without studying the issues closely.
The UAPA case against Roopesh registered by the Bagmandala police in Karnataka has been quashed by Madikkeri principal sessions court earlier. Roopesh is currently an under trial prisoner at Viyyur Central Jail in Thrissur.
