New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday reserved its order on pleas by NewsClick founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha and Human Resources head Amit Chakravarty challenging their arrest in a case lodged under the provisions of UAPA.
On October 6, the court had sought Delhi Police’s response on the pleas, post which an affidavit has been filed.
Appearing for Purkayastha in the presence of Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal started off by saying that even till today, no grounds for arrest have been supplied to us, and that only the arrest memo is the document which has been produced.
On the Delhi Police’s reply stating that Purkayastha was served with grounds of arrest, Sibal said that grounds of arrest are different from reasons.
Reading out the allegations levelled against him, Sibal said: “All facts are false, not a penny has come from China.”
After hearing the matter at length, the judge reserved the order.
A copy of the detailed order is awaited.
Last time, Sibal had submitted that the arrest was illegal, and no ground of arrest was given to him, adding the trial court passed the remand order without hearing and considering Purkayastha’s response to the remand application. Appearing through video conference for Delhi Police, Solicitor General of India (SGI) Tushar Mehta had requested the matter to be heard on October 9 and sought time to file response.
However, Sibal had taken objection to the SGI’s request and had sought interim release if the matter was to be heard on October 9, saying that the Investigating Officer was present and the file was also with him, adding the matter could be argued now instead of Monday (October 9).
Mehta then said that he needed time to file his reply and pressed for October 9. On Sibal seeking interim release, Justice Gedela said that the allegations are not of such nature which warrants immediate release.
He then asked SGI: “Mr. Mehta, tell us… The remand order, there appears to be something which is missing there… and the counsel was not heard.” The court also told Mehta that the grounds of arrest were not disclosed in the remand application. “Apparently, in the remand application, you don’t disclose the grounds of arrest. Today, there is a Supreme Court judgement which is staring in the eye,” the court said.
The Special Cell of Delhi Police had arrested Purkayastha and Chakravarty on Tuesday, and the next day, they were sent to seven-day police custody by a Delhi court.
(IANS)
