Tamil Nadu government on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking two-day police custody of ultra-Left folk singer Kovan, who was granted relief by the Madras High Court in a sedition case.
The state government challenged the High Court order staying the remand of Kovan to police custody.
54-year-old Kovan, propagandist singer of ultra-Left arts and literary outfit 'Makkal Kalai Ilakkiya Kazhagam', was arrested in Tiruchirapalli on October 30 for alleged sedition, uploading "defamatory" electronic content against Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and "disturbing public peace".
On November 7, the Madras High Court had stayed a local court order remanding Kovan to police custody for two days, saying it was 'erroneous'.
The high court had passed the interim direction at a special hearing on a petition by the singer, challenging Chief Judicial Magistrate Court's November 6 order.
The alleged defamatory content in the form of videos were uploaded on some Tamil websites which had gone viral in messaging mediums like Whatsapp.
The content, though centred over the liquor vending policy of Tamil Nadu government, allegedly had direct references to Jayalalithaa, showing her in a bad light.
The HC had said a perusal of the papers revealed that in permitting two-day custody to Kovan, the primary concern of the lower court had been the need to probe any link with the Naxals.
Kovan moves HC seeking to quash FIR
Kovan, meanwhile, moved the high court seeking to quash the FIR registered against him.
When the matter came up for hearing, Justice R Subbiah ordered notice to police and adjourned it to December 1.
Kovan was arrested on October 30 for alleged sedition, uploading "defamatory" electronic content against Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and "disturbing" public peace. He was granted bail by the high court later.
The singer of Leftist arts and literary outfit 'Makkal Kalai Ilakkiya Kazhagam' submitted that he was engaged in building up a movement among the people on various issues faced by them and has sung a number of songs and done a number of roadshows.
Claiming that so far not a single allegation had been raised against him or his songs, he alleged a "false case" was registered against him by the City Crime Branch for singing a song ‘shutdown Tasmac liquor shop’.
