The Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted bail to two men arrested in Raisen district for allegedly posting an Instagram reel expressing support for Iran during the ongoing West Asia conflict.
The accused, Wasim Khan and Yousuf Mehafooz, were arrested on March 8 on charges of promoting enmity between groups.
Arrest based on social media post
The case was registered after a complaint by a local resident, who alleged that the two men appeared in a video saying they would “support Iran together.” The post also included the statement, “Indian Muslims were not afraid yesterday, and nor are they afraid today.”
Police booked the two under charges related to promoting communal disharmony.
Court questions basis of FIR
While granting bail on April 9, Justice Ramkumar Choubey observed that the content of the reel did not indicate any intent to create enmity between communities.
The court noted, “The post refers to a protest in favour of a foreign country and cannot be treated as promoting enmity based on religion, race or place of birth.”
The judge also raised concerns about the police action, saying the FIR appeared to have been registered without sufficient material.
“It appears that the police has registered the FIR even without adequate evidence to establish the alleged offence,” the court said.
The court ruled that this was a fit case for granting bail and ordered the release of both men.
They have been directed to furnish personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each along with one surety of the same amount.
