KOCHI: The Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court on Saturday granted bail to Shajan Scaria, promoter and editor of online portal Marunadan Malayali, chastising police for abusing the process of law and making a mockery of court procedure.
Shajan was arrested by Thrikkakara police in a forgery case at 10.25 a.m. on Saturday when he appeared before Nilambur police armed with the bail granted by the High Court. Shajan was arrested 35 minutes before the sessions court was to consider his anticipatory bail plea.
“Arresting a person while he is proceeding to the police station on the basis of a court order, in another case, is nothing but a mockery of court procedures. It is a clear abuse of the process of law. The bad intention of the investigating agency is clear from the fact that the disposal of the petition was delayed by the investigating officer seeking time. This is nothing but abuse of the process of the court,” observed Additional Sessions Judge P K Mohandas. The court directed that Shajan be released on bail after interrogation on Saturday itself.
Shajan was arrested when he appeared for interrogation in a case pertaining to allegedly fostering communal hatred through his online portal. The High Court had granted him bail in that case. However, knowing that Shajan would reach Nilambur, a police team from Kochi reached there in advance to take him into custody. Soon after reaching the Nilambur station, he was arrested and taken to Kochi.
The court observed that Shajan’s urgent arrest was not required as it was not a serious offence. Though the document was produced before the registrar of companies in July 2018, no complaint was filed by the registrar, who is the aggrieved person. The person who filed the complaint has no direct connection with the document allegedly forged.
The complainant works with another news channel and harbours business and personal rivalry against the petitioner, the court noted. The case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Radhakrishnan of New Delhi before the Kerala chief minister which was forwarded to the SHO Thrikkakara for investigation.
It was alleged that Shajan presented a fake BSNL bill before the Kerala Registrar of Companies for receiving an incorporation certificate for his venture Tiding Digital Publications Private Limited on July 6, 2018. A case was registered against Shajan at Thrikkakara police station on July 13, 2023.
The police initiated the arrest procedure after Shajan did not turn up for interrogation even after multiple notices were served to him in this regard. “The case is in the investigation stage and evidence is being collected,” said Thrikkakara Assistant Police Commissioner P V Baby.