Kerala Police book MLA K T Jaleel over his Azad Kashmir remark

A judicial magistrate court at Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta had directed the police to register a case against Jaleel, an MLA from Thavanaur in the Malappuram district

Thiruvanathapuram: The Kerala Police Wednesday registered a case against CPI(M)-backed legislator and former higher education minister K T Jaleel in connection with his recent controversial remarks on Kashmir.

On Tuesday, a judicial magistrate court at Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta had directed the police to register a case against Jaleel, an MLA from Thavanaur in the Malappuram district. The court issued the directions while acting upon a petition moved by RSS leader Arun Mohan.

The Keezhvaipur police in the Pathanamthitta district registered the case under section 153 B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and as per section two of Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

Jaleel’s Facebook post on the eve of Independence Day triggered a controversy after he referred to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as “Azad Kashmir”. In his post, Jaleel also referred to Jammu and Kashmir as “India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir’’ and even criticised the Centre’s decision to revoke the erstwhile state’s special status