Accusing filmmaker Aisha Sultana, booked for sedition, of violating mandatory home quarantine rules, the Lakshadweep administration on Tuesday warned of stringent action against her if she repeated it.
In a caution notice to Sultana, District Collector S Asker Ali, who is also chairman of the Disaster Management Authority, alleged that Sultana, who arrived at Kavaratti on June 19 after being summoned by police for questioning, moved out of the place of her stay,visited public places and mingled with other people, violating the seven-day mandatory home quarantine rule in force in the islands since May 12.
Sultana, an islander, was booked by Lakshadweep police for sedition while she was in Kerala. She returned to the islands after being summoned by the Kavaratti police in connection with the case.
The administration said Sultana was exempted from the mandatory quarantine provision only for the purpose of interrogation in the case against her. It alleged that she violated the home quarantine direction and roamed in public places, interacted with the public, visited a First Line Treatment Centre and interacted with Covid-19 positive patients.
Terming these actions are "certainly illegal", the administration in its notice said, "Hence you are hereby cautioned that stringent actions will be taken against you if you are violating the quarantine rule again, which is specified as per the Standard Covid Protocol (SOP) that is in place in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep".
She was booked by the Kavaratti police on June 9 for alleging that the Centre used biological weapons against the people of Lakshadweep. She made this allegation while participating in a debate telecast by a Malayalam news channel on June 7. The complaint was filed by a BJP leader on the islands.
Sultana was allowed to leave after the initial round of interrogation on Sunday. A source close to her said she has been directed to appear before the police again on Wednesday.