While hearing the petition of Swiss national Jonathan Baud, seeking to quash the FIR registered against him on charges of attending a meeting to commemorate a suspected Maoist leader in July, the Kerala High Court said the police could not explain the crime committed by the Swiss national. Directing the state government to explain which condition of the visa regulations Baud had violated, Justice P Ubaid posted the petition for Tuesday.

Baud, a student of International Economic History at Paul Bairoch Institute of Economic History in Geneva, was arrested from Triprayar in Thrissur on July 28 after he attended a public meeting held to commemorate Maoist leader Sinoj. He had introduced himself in the meeting after the audience turned curious about the presence of a foreigner. As police couldn’t establish Maoist links, Baud was charged under Section 14 (b) of the Foreigners Act, which pertains to any act in violation of the conditions of the valid visa issued for entry and stay in India. Later, he was released on bail, but could not return to his native country as the case was pending in the court.

Subsequently, Baud has been fighting in the court to get the FIR quashed and file a closure report on his pending case. During several hearings, the court had asked the police to submit details about the case, including the Malayalam translation of his speech and its audio CD. After examining them, the judge on Monday observed that there was nothing objectionable in the speech that demands framing of the offence under section 14 (b) of the foreigners act.

The court asked the police explain what visa condition Baud had violated to attract the stated offence. The court directed the government to explain which visa condition Baud had violated while attending the meeting as a curious student of politics.

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/court-asks-kerala-police-to-explain-crime-of-swiss-national-who-attended-maoist-meet/

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