Uttar Pradesh assault: High Court grants transit bail to journalist

Mumbai, June 21

The Bombay HC on Monday granted transit anticipatory bail to journalist Rana Ayyub for four weeks in connection with an FIR registered against her by the Uttar Pradesh police for allegedly circulating a video in which an elderly Muslim man claimed he was thrashed and asked to chant “Jai Shri Ram”.

The police in their FIR claimed the video was circulated to create communal unrest.

Ayyub’s counsel Mihir Desai told a single Bench of Justice PD Naik that the applicant was a journalist who had just forwarded the video from her Twitter handle. “On June 16, when she came to know that the content of the video was not correct, she deleted the same,” Desai said.

He said the offences under which Ayyub has been booked are all punishable only up to three years in jail and hence, she should be given time to approach the court in Uttar Pradesh to seek relief. — PTI