February 18, 2019:

On Monday, the Delhi High Court dismissed a Manipur student activist's petition challenging his arrest and transit remand here in a sedition case lodged against him for making remarks over the Citizenship Bill on social media.

Justice Sunil Gaur dismissed activist Veewon Thokchom's plea who was arrested by Manipur police in Delhi on Feb 15.

The Court had earlier reserved order on the plea.

Thokchom had filed the petition through his brother seeking quashing of the transit remand claiming it to be defective.

His counsel had argued that the transit remand order suffered from non-application of mind.

Counsel for Manipur police had contended that misleading facts were being placed before the court by the activist's lawyer and he would be taken to Manipur to be produced before the concerned court tomorrow.

The High Court had earlier in the day, transferred the petition to another bench for hearing it today itself due to some technical issues.

Thokchom's counsel had claimed that the 23-year-old youth's arrest was illegal and after going through the FIR, no criminal offence was being made out.

He was arrested and charged with sedition for a Facebook post critical of the Citizenship Amendment Bill. The petition has made state of Manipur and Delhi Police as parties.

If convicted, the offence of sedition could entail a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

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