High court dismisses plea to transfer Amulya case to NIA

The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a PIL seeking transfer of the investigation against student Amulya Leona to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The city police are investigating a case of sedition against Amulya on charges of raising the ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogan at an anti-CAA protest last year.

The petition was initially filed before a single judge bench of the High Court after a Magistrate Court granted default bail to Amulya since the police had not filed the chargesheet within the stipulated time. The matter was placed before a division bench. The petition contended that the investigation has not been properly conducted and therefore, it should be entrusted to NIA.

“Looking into the nature of allegations made in the FIR, we do not think that this is a case where extraordinary jurisdiction is to be initiated and entrusted to NIA. In a writ petition in the nature of the PIL, it is not possible to consider the prayer enjoining the respondents to apply for cancellation of bail of the accused,’’ the bench said.