Sri Vijaya Puram, July 25: The Andaman and Nicobar Police have approached the Calcutta High Court seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Sri Vijaya Puram Municipal Council (SVPMC) councillor Aziz-ur-Rehman in connection with a case registered against him under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The appeal challenges an order passed by the The Sessions Court at Port Blair granting anticipatory bail to the councillor. The matter is now pending before the High Court and marks the latest legal development in a case that has attracted widespread attention across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The FIR was registered after Sher Singh, State Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, along with others, alleged that Aziz-ur-Rehman made derogatory caste-based remarks against members of the Valmiki community following an altercation in Sri Vijaya Puram. Acting on the complaint, the Andaman and Nicobar Police registered a non-bailable FIR against the councillor under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The case triggered protests by members of the Valmiki community, who demanded stringent action against the councillor, alleging that the remarks insulted the dignity of the Scheduled Caste community. The controversy quickly became one of the most closely watched issues in the islands, drawing significant public and political attention.
The dispute had its origins in a controversy over free-roaming pigs in parts of Sri Vijaya Puram. Aziz-ur-Rehman had publicly accused the police of failing to act against those involved in an altercation linked to the issue. Members of the Valmiki community subsequently lodged a complaint alleging that the councillor had used caste-based derogatory remarks against them, leading to the registration of the FIR. The allegations remain under police investigation.
Following the registration of the FIR, police stated that they had been attempting to contact Aziz-ur-Rehman as part of the investigation. Investigators said his mobile phone remained switched off despite repeated attempts to reach him. The councillor, who had been regularly active on social media before the controversy, also stopped posting publicly after the FIR was registered, further fuelling public interest in the case.
Aziz-ur-Rehman subsequently secured anticipatory bail from the The Sessions Court at Port Blair. The Andaman and Nicobar Police have now challenged that order before the Calcutta High Court, contending that the relief granted to the councillor should be set aside. The appeal is now awaiting adjudication.
The High Court’s decision on the police appeal is expected to determine the next course of the investigation. If the appeal succeeds, the investigating agency would be free to proceed in accordance with law without the protection afforded by the anticipatory bail order. Until then, the appeal remains pending before the High Court.
