Cartoonist's arrest: Katju calls Mumbai police 'Nazi war criminals'

10 September, 2012

Another cartoon controversy has erupted. But this time it is not related to NCERT books but to a Kanpur-based cartoonist Aseem Trivedi who has been charged with sedition. While his supporters have termed the arrest as 'politically motivated', the incident has led to widespread outrage with people questioning the arrest.

ASEEM TRIVEDI, 25, a political cartoonist, has been arrested and sent to seven days police custody by a Mumbai court by issuing a non-bailable arrest warrant against him. The alleged charge is that Trivedi drew a derogatory sketch, exhibited it at Team Anna Mumbai rally and also uploaded it on his blog.

Trivedi was picked up by Mumbai police from Bandra-Kurla allegedly for uploading objectionable banners derogatory to the Indian constitution. He has been slapped with sedition charges under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code along with some other offences under the Information Technology Act.

The India Against Corruption or IAC Mumbai activists said that Trivedi's arrest was a violation of freedom of expression which was their constitutional right. Not only the IAC but the press council chairman Justice Markendey Katju also criticised the Mumbai Police for the arrest, comparing them to Nazi war criminals.