BJP youth wing chief gets anticipatory bail

The Madras High Court has on Friday extended an anticipatory bail on FIRs booked under several sections of the IPC against BJP’s state youth wing president Vinoj P Selvam for posting provocative content on Twitter.

Justice R Pongiappan granted relief to leader on disposing of the plea moved by Selvam. The petitioner sought direction to quash the FIRs filed by the cybercrime police against him as well as the anticipatory bail.

Hasan Mohammed Jinnah, state public prosecutor, submitted that the petitioner has posted a tweet that was hateful in nature and would create animosity among people. The police also noted that the BJP leader had indulged in this act for political benefits.

Meanwhile, senior counsel RC Paul Kanagaraj appearing for the petitioner had posted the tweet on the basis of the news items that came in various newspapers and his client did not post that tweet with a motive to cause communal clash. He further stated that the complaint was lodged on the grounds of political vengeance against Vinoj.

On recording the submissions, the judge granted interim bail to the petitioner. On his Twitter page, Vinoj made a post alleging that temples are only being targeted in the name of removing encroachments. Therefore, a DMK functionary named Ilangovan lodged a police complaint stating him.

In another case, BJP’s Sowdha Mani’s plea seeking anticipatory bail on a case booked against her for leaving a Twitter post was dismissed by Justice R Pongiappan.