Swiss national held for Maoist link remanded to police custody

THRISSUR: Swiss national Jonathan Baud, who was arrested on July 28 from nearby Triprayar for attending a meeting organized by a group of Maoist sympathisers, was today remanded to police custody by a local court.

The Kodungalloor Judicial First Class Magistrate, P B Faseela, sent Baud to police custody after considering a plea by the police.

Baud would be produced before the court tomorrow as he was given to police custody till 1700 hours on August 2.

The bail application of Swiss national moved in the court by his counsel was rejected by the magistrate.

Baud (24) was arrested for addressing a pro-Maoist organization's meeting at Triprayar and had been charged under section 2(b) of the Foreigners' Act, 1946 and 2(b) of the Foreigners (Amendment) Act, 2004.

He had attended a meeting organized by a group of activists to commemorate a Maoist reportedly killed while making country bomb at Karnataka-Andhra border last month.

He was produced on July 29 before the Judicial First Class magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.