DGP Loknath Behera denies arrest of writer Kamal C Chavara and activist Nadir

Thiruvananthapuram: With the police action against writer C. Kamal and activist Nadir becoming controversial, state police chief Loknath Behera has maintained that both of them were not arrested, but only taken into custody. Preliminary inquiries had found that sedition charges need not be slapped on Kamal and that Nadir was not involved in the case against him. Mr. Behera said in a statement that a case was registered against Kamal under section 124 A of IPC for sedition alleging that he had insulted the national anthem.

The sedition charge was invoked on the basis of prima facie allegation. The investigation is progressing and as part of the probe Kamal was questioned by police, which was a requirement as per law. “He has not been arrested so far and he is not in police custody,” he said. The police chief also said that Nadir's statement was recorded as part of a case registered by Aaralam police in March 2016 under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The case related to left wing extremists going to a house and threatening and extorting. “After questioning Nadir and doing some scientific checks, his involvement in the case has not come up so far. So he has been let off,” he said. Mr. Behera also said that in both the cases the police only had discharged their legal duty to question and record the statement of a suspect, witness and accused in the cases registered.