The High Court has refused to stay further proceedings in Ayesha Sulthana’s sedition case.

Kochi: The Kerala High Court declined to stay further proceedings in the sedition case filed against Lakshadweep filmmaker Ayesha Sulthana on Friday. The High Court, in considering Sulthana’s petition to quash the FIR registered against her by the Kavaratti police, stated that the investigation was in its preliminary stages and that more time may be required to complete the probe.

The court refused to stay further proceedings in the case and instead directed the Lakshadweep administration to provide details of the investigation.

When the case was heard, the administration’s counsel objected to the plea, claiming that the investigation was in its early stages.

On the basis of a petition filed by a political leader from Kavaratti, a case was registered on June 9 under Sections 124-A (sedition) and 153 B (hate speech) of the IPC.

Sulthana was granted anticipatory bail in the sedition case by the High Court last week.

In granting bail, Justice Ashok Menon stated that there was no obvious indication in her statement that amounts to imputations or assertions prejudicial to the national interest, nor does it propagate any class of people against another group of people.

Sulthana was questioned three times by Kavaratti police last week in connection with the case.