Madras High Court Approves Bail for YouTuber Detained for Hijab Video.
The Madras High Court has granted bail to a YouTuber who was arrested by the Coimbatore police in September on charges of cyber terrorism. He was accused of making and sharing a video on a private channel that encouraged people to wear the hijab and share their experiences. This video, which was posted on social media, led to claims that it aimed to disturb public order and foster communal tension. He was charged under Sections 352 (intentional insult to disrupt public peace) and 353 (statements leading to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as under Section 66(f) of the Information Technology Act, related to cyber terrorism.
Justice P. Dhanabal’s Bench considered various factors before granting bail. The Court noted that he had been in custody for over 50 days and had no prior criminal history. The Court stated, “After reviewing the arguments from both sides, the nature of the offense, and the fact that there are no pending cases against the petitioner, along with the time already served, this Court is inclined to grant bail with certain conditions.”
The conditions for bail included that he must sign a bond of ₹10,000 and report to the police station every morning for the next month.
Cause Title: Anash Ahamed v. The State
