The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court granted anticipatory bail to a Kanyakumari man on November 5 who was booked for posting a morphed image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook.
C Jabin Charles only received the anticipatory bail after he signed an undertaking not to use social media for a year. He also agreed to file an affidavit apologising for his actions. Justice GR Swaminathan warnKanyakumari Man Who Posted PM’s Morphed Image Gets 1 Year Social Media Baned Charles that his bail could be cancelled if he is found using social media.
A BJP worker – Nanjil Rana filed a complaint against Charles on October 11, the very day Charles had posted the morphed image on Facebook. The cops at Vadasery Police Station in Kanyakumari registered the case against Charles under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, 2000 on the next day.
Though Charles said that the Supreme Court had clearly stated that expressing a public opinion on Facebook is not an offence, he regretted his actions and immediately blocked the picture. He also said he was ready to apologise in a local newspaper for his act.
A similar incident took place in the state of West Bengal in May. A BJP Yuva Morcha member – Priyanka Sharma was arrested for posting a morphed image of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media. Mamata Banerjee’s face was juxtaposed on a picture of Priyanka Chopra from the MET Gala in New York.
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