Hyderabad: Professor C. Kasim of the Osmania University, who was arrested on charges of alleged links with the Maoist on Saturday, was produced before Telangana High Court chief justice at his residence on Sunday.
Kasim, an associate professor in the Telugu department, was brought to the residence of Chief Justice R. S. Chauhan in the posh Banjara Hills neighbourhood as per his orders passed on Saturday.
After hearing Kasim’s counsel, the Chief Justice asked the Telangana government to submit a counter affidavit by January 23, giving details of the arrest and the charges against the professor. He adjourned the hearing to January 24.
The chief justice also allowed Kasim’s family members to meet him at his residence.
The 43-year-old professor was later shifted to Cherlapally Jail.
He was arrested by Siddipet district police after a raid on his residence at staff quarters of the university on Saturday.
The arrest, allegedly in connection with a case registered against him in 2016, triggered protest from some students and human rights groups.
Gaddam Laxman, president of the Telangana Civil Liberties Committee, had moved a habeas corpus petition as house motion against the arrest at the chief justice’s residence.
Taking exception to the manner in which the arrest was made the chief justice had directed the police to produce him at his residence on Sunday.
Kasim was arrested in connection with a case registered against him under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Mulugu police station in 2016. He was charged with sedition, attempt to wage war against the country and criminal conspiracy.
The petitioner’s counsel V. Raghunath submitted to the court that Kasim was shown absconding in the case though he had been regularly attending to his duties.
Justice Chauhan had threatened to order probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the state police for detaining people unlawfully.
An associate professor in the department of Telugu, Kasim was recently elected as secretary of Revolutionary Writers Association or Virasam. He is also the editor of a Telugu newspaper ‘Nadusthunna Telangana’ (contemporary Telangana).
Virasam was earlier headed by well-known writer Varavara Rao, who is currently in jail in for his alleged involvement in the Bhima Koregaon violence case in Maharashtra.
