A Chandigarh court has rejected the second regular bail application of Hyderabad-based freelance journalist Hassan Mohiduddin Siddiqui, who was arrested in April for allegedly sharing a misleading social media post falsely claiming that a video of a man receiving a facial massage showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Sonali Singh, in an order dated July 27, held that the allegations against Siddiqui were serious and observed that granting him bail at this stage could disturb public order and promote enmity between groups.
The court said that the filing of the chargesheet alone could not be treated as a fresh ground for granting bail, particularly when the allegations involved content allegedly capable of affecting public peace.
Court Finds No New Grounds for Bail
Siddiqui was arrested by Chandigarh Police on April 25 in connection with an FIR registered at Sector 26 Police Station on April 19 under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.
Rejecting his plea, the court noted that his earlier bail application had already been dismissed and that the only new circumstance cited by the defence was the filing of the chargesheet.
“Presentation of the chargesheet in the court is not a ground to grant bail, especially when there are serious allegations against the accused,” the court observed.
The judge further stated, “If bail is granted to the applicant, it will amount to disturbing the public order and it will promote enmity between the groups.”
What the Prosecution Alleged
According to the prosecution, Siddiqui shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing a man receiving a facial massage while falsely claiming that the person in the video was Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The accompanying post also allegedly claimed, without evidence, that US intelligence agencies possessed compromising videos of the Prime Minister.
Police argued that the content was provocative, objectionable and capable of disturbing communal harmony and public order. The prosecution also submitted that technical investigation had linked the social media account and mobile number used to Siddiqui.
The prosecution told the court that some parts of the investigation were still pending, additional accused were yet to be arrested, and Siddiqui’s release could affect the investigation and digital evidence.
Defence Cites Health and Family Circumstances
Seeking bail, Siddiqui’s counsel argued that he had been falsely implicated and had remained in custody for more than two months. The defence submitted that the investigation was complete, the chargesheet had been filed and only the forensic laboratory report was awaited.
The defence also argued that the offences carried a maximum punishment of three years, the case was based mainly on documentary and digital evidence, and there was no possibility of tampering with evidence.
It further highlighted Siddiqui’s medical condition, stating that he suffers from acute pancreatitis, and said he is the father of four minor children who depend on him.
However, the court held that these submissions did not justify bail in view of the seriousness of the allegations.
Related Proceedings
The case originated from a complaint filed by advocate Satinder Singh after the misleading video was circulated on social media. Independent fact-checkers later established that the man in the video was not Prime Minister Modi but a travel vlogger receiving a routine facial massage.
Another accused in the same FIR, academic and political commentator Madhu Purnima Kishwar, was served a notice to join the investigation. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier rejected her anticipatory bail plea in May.
