Manipur student activist booked for sedition, approaches Delhi HC; to be heard today

A student activist from Manipur approached the Delhi High Court Monday challenging his arrest and transit remand order of a magistrate here in a sedition case lodged against him for making remarks over the citizenship bill on social media.

Veewon Thokchom, who was arrested by Manipur police in Delhi on February 15, has filed the petition through his brother seeking quashing of the transit remand claiming it to be defective.

Justice Mukta Gupta, before whom the matter came up for hearing, transferred the petition to another bench for hearing it today itself due to some technical issues.

Senior advocate Collin Gonsalves, appearing for Thokchom, claimed that the 23-year-old youth's arrest is illegal and after going through the FIR, no criminal offence is being made out.

Thokchom was arrested and charged with sedition for a Facebook post critical of the citizenship amendment bill. The petition has made state of Manipur and Delhi Police as parties.

The offence of sedition entails a maximum of life imprisonment.