By Scroll Staff
The Madhya Pradesh High Court granted bail to two men arrested last month in Raisen district after they appeared in an Instagram reel expressing support for Iran amid the war in West Asia.
The men, Wasim Khan and Yousuf Mehafooz, were arrested on March 8 on charges of promoting enmity between groups.
A day earlier, a man named Brajesh Chavariya had filed a police complaint saying that he had seen a reel in which the men were seen saying that “everyone together” was going to support Iran. “Hindustan ka musalman na kal dara tha na ham aaj darengey [Indian Muslims were not afraid yesterday, and nor are they afraid today],” the post said.
In an order passed on April 9, Justice Ramkumar Choubey said that the post referred to a protest in favour of a foreign country and could not be construed as promoting enmity between groups on based on religion, race or place of birth.
The judge said that the material cited by the police showed that the case was registered only based on what was said in the Instagram reel.
“It also appears that the police has registered an FIR against the applicants even without having sufficient material constituting the alleged offence,” Choubey said. “Therefore, it is a fit case in which the applicants on bail may be released on bail.”
The court ordered Khan and Mehafooz to be released on bail, subject to their furnishing personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each, with one surety of the same amount.
This story was originally published in scroll.in.