Sedition case: Court denies Gilani's plea about phone

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has denied a plea of former Delhi University lecturer SAR Gilani for handing him back his mobile phone, seized by city police in connection with a sedition case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Harvinder Singh dismissed the application moved by Gilani's counsel, after police submitted that the mobile phone has been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory for examination.

The court, however, directed the city police to release Gilani's car and other articles seized in the case.

A court had granted bail to Gilani on March 19 in the case on furnishing of a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount.

Earlier on February 19, a magisterial court had dismissed the bail plea of Gilani, who was arrested on February 16 after the police had alleged that "hatred" was being generated against the government.

According to police, an event was held on February 10 in the Press Club in which banners were placed showing Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat as martyrs.

It had also said the hall in the Press Club was booked by Gilani, through his associate Ali Javed by using his credit card and another man Mudassar was also involved.

At the event, a group had allegedly shouted slogans hailing Guru, following which the police had lodged a case under sections 124A (sedition), 120B(criminal conspiracy) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC against Gilani and other unnamed persons.

The police had registered the FIR taking suo motu cognisance of media clips of the incident.

Following registration of the FIR, the police questioned DU professor Javed for two days.

Gilani was arrested in connection with the 2001 Parliament attack case but was acquitted for "need of evidence" by Delhi High Court in October 2003, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in August 2005.