6 days ago
Allahabad HC Refuses Bail To Man Accused Of Sharing Posts Targeting PM Modi
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Last Updated: August 06, 2025, 19:36 IST
The High Court noted the discrepancies in the applicant's stand.
The Allahabad High Court (HC) recently refused to grant bail to a man accused of publishing Facebook posts that allegedly demeaned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and glorified Pakistan.
Calling the material 'provocative and objectionable," the court held that it was capable of inciting communal unrest and disturbing public order.
The bail application was filed by Tahir Mewati, a resident of Bulandshahr district, who is facing prosecution under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. He has been in custody since May 14, following a First Information Report (FIR) lodged at Salempur police station by a local sub-inspector.
Digital evidence recovered during the investigation, including IP address logs linked to Mewati's residence, metadata, and a mobile phone allegedly used to run the account, was submitted in support of the prosecution's case.
Mewati, in his defence, claimed that the Facebook profile was fake and created by unknown individuals to damage his reputation. His counsel argued that he had neither posted nor shared any offensive material and sought bail on grounds of false implication and clean antecedents.
The High Court, however, noted the discrepancies in the applicant's stand. While he earlier stated in a lower court that 'only certain memes" were uploaded without intent to incite, he later denied posting anything at all, an inconsistency the court said undermined his claim of innocence.
The bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh found the nature of the content attributed to the applicant deeply concerning. Observing that the posts were not only offensive but carried the potential to 'promote a narrative contrary to the interest of national sovereignty," the court pointed to a pattern of 'inclination towards glorification of anti-national ideology."
The court also referred to its own precedent in Niyaz Ahmad Khan v. State of U.P., which had emphasised that while social media is a tool of free expression, it cannot become a platform for abusive or destabilising content. 'Such persons who are deliberately involved in such acts… are hazardous to the civilized society and they are not entitled for any sympathy," the earlier ruling stated.
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On those lines, the High Court concluded that there was no good ground to release Mewati on bail. The bail plea was therefore denied.
The court clarified that its findings were limited to the question of bail and would not influence the outcome of the trial. Salil Tiwari
Salil Tiwari, Senior Special Correspondent at Lawbeat, reports on the Allahabad High Court and courts in Uttar Pradesh, however, she also writes on important cases of national importance and public interests fr... Read More
Salil Tiwari, Senior Special Correspondent at Lawbeat, reports on the Allahabad High Court and courts in Uttar Pradesh, however, she also writes on important cases of national importance and public interests fr... Read More view comments News india Allahabad HC Refuses Bail To Man Accused Of Sharing Posts Targeting PM Modi Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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