HC Grants Pre-Arrest Bail to DC Books Editor in Content Leak Case

Kerala HC grants pre-arrest bail to A.V. Sreekumar, DC Books editor, in E.P. Jayarajan's autobiography content leak case, pending further investigation.

on Jan 07, 2025

HC Grants Pre-Arrest Bail to DC Books Editor in Content Leak Case | Frontlist

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has granted anticipatory bail to A.V. Sreekumar, senior deputy editor at DC Books, in a case concerning the alleged unauthorized leakage of content from the unpublished autobiography of senior CPM leader E.P. Jayarajan.

Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan presided over the case on Monday. The judge directed Sreekumar to appear before the investigating officer within two weeks. The court also ordered that if arrested, he be released on bail upon furnishing a bond of ₹50,000 with two solvent sureties.

The Case

Controversy began when Jayarajan filed a complaint with the police that DC Books had announced the release of his autobiography, Kattan Chayayum Parippuvadayum - Oru Communistinte Jeevitham, without his permission. He claimed no agreement was made with the publisher and alleged that portions of the book had been leaked and circulated without his authorization.

The court expressed great concern over what DC Books has done, primarily their declaration regarding the date and title of publication without Jayarajan's clearance. The court observed that these actions prima facie could corroborate the accusations.

Court Order

Despite these concerns, the court granted pre-arrest bail to Sreekumar on the grounds of existing legal precedents. The bench also pointed out that though the action of the publisher raised questions, the media was not responsible since it only reported the announcement made by the publisher.

Opposition Arguments

He was opposed bail and emphasized that a custodial interrogation was inevitable, besides raising an argument for interrogation of journalists. However, the court was unmoved, holding responsibility on the shoulder of DC Books.

The reprieve to Sreekumar came just for now and investigations about these allegations remain intact.