Sedition case: Probe on against Geelani and Roy

The city police on Tuesday told a Delhi court that it was still probing the sedition case against hardline Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, writer Arundhati Roy and four others for making alleged anti-India speeches last year.

The Station House Officer of the Tilak Marg police station made this submission before Metropolitan Magistrate Navita Kumari Bagha in his latest probe status report filed in the court today. Stating that the probe was "under progress", the SHO told the court that they have examined complainant Sushil Pandit and has asked him to join the probe.

"The investigation is under progress. The complainant has already been partly examined. A notice under section 160 of the code of criminal procedure has also been served to Pandit to assist in collection of evidence and to join the investigation of this case," the SHO said.

The court listed the matter for further hearing on July 4. Besides Geelani and Roy, the complaint sought prosecution of four others, including Delhi University professor S A R Geelani, who was acquitted in Parliament attack case, and Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a professor of Kashmir University.

According to the complaint, the accused allegedly made anti-India comments at a convention in October last year on 'Azadi-The Only Way'. Hurriyat leader Geelani shared the dais with Roy and pro-Maoist leader Varavara Rao among others.

Geelani was heckled by the audience after the meeting. The first information report in the case was registered in November 2010 following a court order.