The Allahabad High Court on Monday granted interim anticipatory bail to Lucknow University (LU) assistant professor Madri Kakoti who was booked under stringent charges over her alleged controversial social media comments after the Pahalgam terror attack, according to her lawyer.
The court’s Lucknow bench fixed August 25 for the next hearing on her plea challenging the FIR against her and granted time to the state government to file a counter-affidavit.
This order was passed by the vacation bench of Justice Rajiv Singh.
Kakoti’s advocate SMH Rizvi said the main argument put forward on her behalf was that she had no connection with any political party and neither had she ever participated in any dharna or demonstration, etc.
After writing a post on social media accusing her of “endangering the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country”, ABVP’s metropolitan co-secretary Jatin Shukla alias Manmohan Shukla had lodged a police complaint and subsequently an FIR was filed at the Hasanganj police station on April 28.
Along with other sections, the police also imposed Section 152 (Act endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India) of BNS under which the punishment is up to life imprisonment.
The anticipatory bail was opposed by the state government. After hearing the arguments of both sides, the court granted relief to her till the next hearing to the assistant professor.
Terrorists had gunned down 26 people, mostly tourists, in Kashmir Valley’s Pahalgam on April 22.
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