Professor Kasim produced before Telangana Chief Justice, hearing adjourned to Jan 24

Professor C Kasim of the Osmania University was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on Saturday.
Professor Kasim produced before Telangana Chief Justice, hearing adjourned to Jan 24
Professor Kasim produced before Telangana Chief Justice, hearing adjourned to Jan 24
Written by:

Professor C Kasim of the Osmania University, who was arrested on charges of alleged links with Maoists on Saturday, was produced before Telangana High Court Chief Justice at his residence on Sunday in Hyderabad.

Kasim, an Associate Professor in the Telugu department, was brought to the residence of Chief Justice RS Chauhan in Banjara Hills as per his orders passed on Saturday.

After hearing Kasim's counsel, the Chief Justice asked the Telangana government to submit a counter affidavit by January 23, giving details of the arrest and the charges against the professor. The hearing was adjourned to January 24.

The Chief Justice also allowed Kasim's family members to meet him at his residence. The 43-year-old professor was later shifted to Cherlapally Jail.

He was arrested by Siddipet district police after a raid on his residence at staff quarters of the university on Saturday. The arrest, allegedly in connection with a case registered against him in 2016, triggered protest from some students and human rights groups.

Gaddam Laxman, president of the Telangana Civil Liberties Committee, had moved a habeas corpus petition as house motion against the arrest at the Chief Justice's residence.

Taking exception to the manner in which the arrest was made the Chief Justice had directed the police to produce him at his residence on Sunday.

Kasim was arrested in connection with a case registered against him under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Mulugu police station in 2016. He was charged with sedition, attempt to wage war against the country and criminal conspiracy.

The petitioner's counsel V Raghunath submitted to the court that Kasim was shown absconding in the case though he had been regularly attending to his duties.

Justice Chauhan had threatened to order probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the state police for detaining people unlawfully.

An associate professor in the department of Telugu, Kasim was recently elected as secretary of Revolutionary Writers Association or Virasam. He is also the editor of a Telugu newspaper 'Nadusthunna Telangana' (contemporary Telangana).

Virasam was earlier headed by well-known writer Varavara Rao, who is currently in jail in for his alleged involvement in the Bhima Koregaon violence case in Maharashtra.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The News Minute
www.thenewsminute.com