Madras HC grants functionary of AIADMK Nirmal Kumar anticipatory bail

CHENNAI: Accepting the affidavit of R Nirmal Kumar, a functionary of AIADMK, stating that he will not spread any false information in future, the Madras High Court granted anticipatory bail to him in the case of publishing a video on his social media handle criticising DMK government.

Justice AD Jagadish Chandira granted anticipatory bail to Nirmal Kumar and directed him to appear before the cybercrime police, in Chennai, for one week.

Nirmal Kumar moved the anticipatory bail plea as the cybercrime police booked a case against him for uploading a video on his X handle alleging the State failed to protect its citizens during the Fengal cyclone.

Since the video published by Nirmal Kumar came to be known as being taken in Vietnam, he removed the content and tendered an apology.

The counsel for petitioner Selvam submitted that his client was misguided by a television news channel and published the video without verifying the veracity.

However, the intention of the petitioner is not to tarnish the image of the government or create panic among the public but to create awareness concerning their safety on the account of the Fengal cyclone, he said.

An affidavit was filed on behalf of Nirmal Kumar that he will not publish any content on social media without verifying its veracity.

Government advocate S Santhosh objected to the advance bail as Nirmal had already committed such an offence of publishing false information, hence he sought to dismiss the plea.

However, the judge granted the advance bail to Nirmal with conditions.

It was reported that while the Fengal cyclone hit the capital city, Nirmal Kumar took his X handle and posted a video of live wire broken into the stormwater, from an unknown source and claimed that it was taken near Marina beach and criticised that the State is ineligible in tackling the cyclone and failed to protect the citizen.

However, the fact check unit revealed that the video posted in X was not taken in Chennai. After, the revelation Nirmal Kumar removed his post from social media. However, the State claimed that he painted the government in black with unverified and false information, hence, the cybercrime police booked him.x