Political analyst Badri Seshadri sent to 14-day judicial custody after arrest over comments on CJI and Manipur violence

After his arrest on Saturday, July 29, a Kunnam judicial magistrate court sent writer and publisher Badri Seshadri to 14 days in judicial custody at Trichy central prison for his recent comments on the Manipur violence. Seshadri was arrested after a complaint was lodged by an advocate P Kaviarasu from Kadoor in Perambalur district. Badri Seshadri has been remanded in judicial custody till August 11.

Notably, Badri Seshadri was booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 153 (provocation), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 505 (public mischief).

Seshadri was arrested early Saturday from his Chennai home following his statements about the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud in connection with the Manipur unrest. Seshadri was arrested and taken from his Mylapore residence to the Perambalur district, where he was brought before the Kunnam magistrate and put in judicial custody until August 11.

“Yesterday, the Supreme Court like a big…I don’t know what words to say. ‘If you can’t do it (contain the violence), we will get down and do it.’ We should give a gun in the hand of Chandrachud (Chief Justice of India) and ask him to go there and do what he can to restore peace. Simply, talking anything without relation,” he had reportedly said.

“Can you (judiciary) enter into the realm of governance? What fault did you find in what is being done [by the government] there [to restore normalcy]? Two groups are fighting. It is a hilly terrain. A complex land. In that, a few murders will happen. Why did they fight? Could we have prevented the reason for the two groups fighting? It can’t be done easily,” Seshadri was quoted as saying.

BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai had criticised the arrest by the Tamil Nadu police and said, “@BJP4TamilNadu Strongly condemns the arrest of renowned publisher and stage speaker Mr. @bseshadri by the Tamil Nadu Police early this morning.”