Give 10-day pre-arrest notice to Shehla Rashid in sedition case: Court directs Delhi Police

A Delhi court on Friday disposed-off the anticipatory bail plea of Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement leader Shehla Rashid in a sedition case and asked Delhi Police to issue a 10-day pre-arrest notice if the need arises to arrest her.

During the hearing, the investigating officer told the court that the probe was at a preliminary stage in the case.

Earlier, Special Cell of the Delhi Police had recorded the complainant's statement.

Rashid had allegedly accused the Indian Army of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. In a series of tweets, Rashid accused the armed forces of indiscriminately picking up boys and ransacking houses in Jammu and Kashmir.

She had also claimed that four men were called into the Army camp and "interrogated (tortured)" in Shopian district.

"A mic was kept close to them so that the entire area could hear them scream, and be terrorised. This created an environment of fear in the entire area," she had written.

Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, in his complaint, accused Rashid of deliberately and intentionally spreading "fake news" with the intention to "incite violence in the country".

He said that she was trying to create unrest in Jammu and Kashmir and trying to promote disharmony, enmity, hatred and ill-will between different groups.

A case was registered by the police under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for offences including sedition, promoting enmity between different groups, breach of the peace and causing hurt to a soldier.

Rashid was, however, granted interim protection by the court upon her assurance that she was ready to join the investigation.

The Public Prosecutor also submitted that the police has not received any complaint from the Army and sought more time to investigate the complaint.