Karnataka: Court acquits two men, says book on Bhagat Singh cannot prove link to Naxalites

A sessions court in Mangaluru, Karnataka, on Saturday acquitted two men who were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2012 for having alleged links with Naxalites, Live Law reported.

The court said that the material seized from the acquitted persons, including a book on Bhagat Singh, which was used to prove their links to a group of Naxalites was not illegal. The court also observed that most of the seized material comprised articles “required for day-to-day livelihood”.

Journalist Vittala Malekudiya and his father Lingappa Malekudiya of Kuthloor village in Karnataka were charged with criminal conspiracy and sedition on March 3, 2012, on the allegations that they were helping five Naxals in the Kudremukh forest region.

The five Naxals were never arrested despite being named in the first information report with the Malekudiyas, according to The Indian Express. Subsequently, the case of the five Naxals was separated from the Malekudiyas by a magistrate’s court.

The court on Saturday observed that the police had failed to establish the father’s and son’s link to the group of Naxalites based on the mobile phones and material seized from them in 2012.

“The CDR [call detail records] of these mobiles have not been produced,” the court said. “Even during the course of trial, the prosecution has…

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