SP leader arrested for making ‘indecent’ remarks on social media gets bail

Lucknow, Jan 10 (PTI) A Samajwadi Party leader arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks on social media has been released on bail, police said.

Manish Jagan Agarwal, who is associated with the SP’s social media cell, was arrested on Sunday following a complaint by an office-bearer of the BJP’s youth wing that she had been threatened with rape and murder.

The complainant too was booked by police after the SP alleged that she had made objectionable remarks against its MP Dimple Yadav, the wife of SP president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.

According to police, Agarwal’s bail was approved by the court of Assistant Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) on Monday.

Jailor of Lucknow District Jail Kishor Dixit confirmed that Agarwal had been released.

In the context of Agarwal’s release, a police officer told PTI that since all the sections listed in the case carry a punishment of less than seven years, there was no justification for his arrest.

Agarwal was arrested for breach of peace, so the court granted him bail on furnishing a bond, the officer said.

On Sunday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and his supporters had protested at the Uttar Pradesh Police headquarters demanding Agarwal’s release. Akhilesh Yadav had also gone to Lucknow District Jail to meet Agarwal.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Aparna Rajat Kaushik had said that Agarwal was arrested from Hazratganj on Sunday morning for making indecent and derogatory remarks against women on social media.

Based on the complaint given by Richa Rajput, the social media in-charge of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on January 4, a case was registered against unidentified persons at the Hazratganj Police Station under sections 354 (A) (sexual harassment), 504 (intentional insult) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

Police officials said this is the fourth FIR lodged since November last year “against people managing the Twitter handle of the Samajwadi Party”.