Allahabad:
The Allahabad High Court will, on July 24, hear the appeal of human rights activist and journalist Seema Azad and her husband against their life imprisonment in connection with a case of sedition.
Ms Azad and her husband, Vishwa Vijay, were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police in 2010 for indulging in alleged Maoist activities. They were booked under various sections of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) - waging war against the state, criminal conspiracy, intention to establish Maoist rule at the Centre and a traitor. A court in Allahabad found the couple guilty of the charges on June 8 this year and sentenced them to life.
On February 3, 2010, 39-year-old Azad and her husband were detained near the Allahabad railway station by the Special Task Force of UP Police. The duo had, at the time, just returned from New Delhi after attending the International Book Fair there. The cops claimed to have found banned Maoist literature and Rs 40,000 on the couple that they said was meant to exhort people to join the Naxals.
"Just by these books in her bag she has been convicted of sedition. It has been concluded that she is a traitor...takes part in unlawful activities, are terrorist and traitors," Ravi Kiran, Ms Azad's lawyer said.
The case was later handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of UP Police. Ms Azad, a Master in Psychology from the Allahabad University, was the Organising Secretary of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) in the state. She also edited a magazine called
Dastak. Her family and friends allege that she is a victim of political vendetta as she used to publish several articles criticising Operation Greenhunt against the Naxals. She also highlighted, through her writings, the unfair policies of the then government led by Mayawati - the most notable being a cover story on land acquisition for the Ganga Expressway, one of the pet projects of the BSP chief.
"This is a conspiracy by the police. That is why she has been arrested. This is completely unjust," MP Shrivastav, Ms Azad's father said.
Several activists have likened Ms Azad's case to that of noted activist Binayak Sen who was granted bail by the Supreme Court last year while serving a life sentence for sedition and links with Maoists. The court had then, in a scathing observation, also said that a person does not become a Gandhian just because he is found with a biography of Mahatma Gandhi.