The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to a man accused of uploading allegedly anti-India and pro-Pakistan content on social media platforms, including posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The single-judge Bench of Justice Rajiv Lochan Shukla passed the order on Monday while allowing the bail application filed by Tahir Mewati, a resident of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh.
According to the prosecution, the accused was operating a Facebook account through which objectionable posts, visuals and captions were allegedly circulated with the intent to defame the Prime Minister and promote sentiments favourable to Pakistan.
The material placed before the Court allegedly included morphed and derogatory images depicting the Prime Minister in humiliating portrayals, including visuals showing him being tied up and dragged by former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The prosecution further alleged that the posts contained captions and Urdu text supportive of Pakistan and capable of disturbing public order and communal harmony. It relied on electronic and digital evidence allegedly linking the accused to the Facebook account in question.
During the proceedings, the State submitted that a mobile phone allegedly used to operate the account had been recovered from the accused. Investigating authorities also relied on IP address logs traced to the accused’s residence, linked mobile numbers and email IDs, login timestamps and metadata extracted during forensic examination to establish authorship and control over the social media account.
Opposing the allegations, the accused contended that the Facebook profile was fake and had been created by an unknown person with the intention of maligning his reputation and falsely implicating him in the case.
After considering the rival submissions and material placed on record, the High Court directed the release of the accused on conditions to be imposed by the trial court.
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