Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi gets bail, sedition charge remains

, Sept 11: Bombay High Court on Tuesday, Sept 11 granted bail to the rebel cartoonist

. However, the cartoonist refused to accept the bail granted by the high court.

The court granted him bail on personal bond of Rs 5,000. Trivedi was arrested for drawing cartoons mocking Parliament, National emblem and many others. However, sedition charge has not been dropped against him yet.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, government sources informed that they may drop the charges against the cartoonist but later Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan claimed that decision over sedition charge will not be taken immediately.

Former Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal met Aseem in jail and threatened to begin agitation outside Arthur Jail in Mumbai on Saturday if the government does not remove sedition charge against the cartoonist.

While defending Aseem and criticising the political system of the country, Kejriwal stated, "MPs who disrespect the national emblem... official papers have national emblems printed on them ... they commit corruption and should be booked for sedition."

The cartoonist earlier had claimed, "I am not seeking bail because I am proud of whatever I did and this I will do it repeatedly. I am not a criminal that I should deposit money and seek bail, but till the time the charges of sedition are not dropped against me, I will continue to be in jail."

Citing a legal complaint against his cartoons lodged by a lawyer, Mumbai police arrested Trivedi on Saturday and sent him to seven days police custody. He was produced again before a court on Monday which sent him to judicial custody till Sept 24. He was booked under the charges of IPC Section 124 A for sedition, Section 66 A of IT Act and under National Emblem Act, 1971.

OneIndia News