HYDERABAD: An Associate Professor in the Telugu Department of Osmania University, Chintakindi Kaseem was arrested and sent to judicial custody on Saturday by the Gajwel police for his alleged close links with the banned CPI (Maoist) party. He was arrested after police in plainclothes conducted searches at his residence in Hyderabad and seized some incriminating material earlier in the day.
Kaseem, who is also the editor of Nadustunna Telangana magazine, was recently elected as the secretary of the revolutionary writers association, Virasam. In 2016, he was booked under sedition charges by Mulugu police. Following his arrest, Gaddam Laxman, a retired OU professor and president of State Civil Liberties Committee, filed a house motion petition, challenging the alleged illegal detention of Kaseem.
The HC, which expressed surprise over the claim of police that Kaseem was absconding since 2016, directed the respondents in the petition — Hyderabad city police commissioner, Siddipet district superintendent of police and station house officer of OU campus — to produce Kaseem before it at 10.30am on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Siddipet Police Commissioner D Joel Davis in a press release said that Gajwel police conducted searches at the house of professor on the university campus on Saturday after obtaining a search warrant from Gajwel court.
The Commissioner alleged that Kaseem was working for the expansion of the Maoist party and had close links with top leaders. He was working with them and was supported by them financially as well. The Commissioner explained that there were cases against the Professor lodged in 2016 under Sections 120 B, 121 A, 124 A, IPC 10,&18 of the UAPA Act.
He said as part of the investigation into the case, a police team led by Gajwel ACP P Narayana visited the Osmania University campus Hyderabad quarter No. VI-9 and conducted a search in the presence of his wife and relatives.
During the search, police seized banned Maoist party literature, pamphlets, CDs and electronic equipment and Kaseem was arrested for having links with Maoists and was taken to Mulugu police station, Joel Davis said.
High Court surprised that Prof Kaseem was ‘absconding’ for 4 years
Siddipet Police Commissioner D Joel Davis explained that Kaseem was conducting Maoist activities in Telangana with the money provided by the central committee of the Maoists, while maintaining good relations with Telangana Maoist Committee secretary Hari Bhusham aka Jagan and other leaders. Commissioner added that Kaseem is accused in six other cases in other districts.
Later in the day, a division bench of the Telangana High Court, while wondering at the submission of the police that they could not arrest Prof Chinthakinda Kaseem as he was “absconding” for the last four years, directed the respondents -- Hyderabad City Police Commissioner, Siddipet District Superintendent of Police and station house officer of OU campus, to produce Kaseem before it on Sunday.
“It is rather surprising that in an FIR registered four years ago (2016), the police has not been able to arrest the professor. Moreover, it is indeed surprising that a professor, who would be engaged in conducting classes in the university, is claimed to be absconding. Therefore, the stand being taken by the State is rather unbelievable,” the bench observed.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy, passed the order in a habeas corpus petition moved in the form of house motion by Prof Gaddam Laxman.
Petitioner’s counsel V Raghunath told the court that about 200 police personnel had entered the university campus and had put Prof Kaseem under house arrest. The professor was detained illegally and no reasons or grounds of arrest were informed to the family members. There is every likelihood of planting incriminating material alleging relations with the Maoist party. His family members and colleagues were prevented to meet the detenue.
The action of the police grossly violates the mandatory provisions of CrPC and also the guidelines of Supreme Court judgment in DK Basu case and also violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, he added and urged the court to direct the police to produce the detenue before the court.
On the other hand, special government counsel for Telangana Harinder Prasad submitted that an FIR was registered against Prof Kaseem in 2016. The police could not arrest him since he was absconding for the last four years. Therefore, the police has arrested him and that he would be produced before the magistrate concerned by late evening.
Not satisfied with the submissions of government counsel, the bench questioned him as to whether the police have taken prior permission from the university vice-chancellor before the arrest. How the police could claim that the professor was absconding when he is engaged in conducting classes in the university?
Earlier also, similar instances of arrests have come to the notice of the HC. If the police continue to do such things then the court will entrust all the FIRs to the CBI, the bench warned. After hearing both sides, the bench, prima facie, felt that there was violation in arrest of the associate professor.
The bench directed the police to produce the detenue before it on Sunday to hear him personally and record his statement on the issue. The bench posted the matter to Sunday for further hearing.