LUCKNOW: In compliance to the Supreme Court order, freelance journalist Prashant Kanojia was released from Lucknow jail Wednesday. The scribe was released a day after the apex court directed the UP government to set him free immediately on bail.
Kanojia was arrested on Saturday for allegedly putting objectionable posts against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on social media.
Having spent four nights behind the bars, Kanojia was allowed bail after furnishing two sureties of Rs 20,000 each and a personal bond for the same amount.
While talking to media persons after walking out of Lucknow jail, Kanojia expressed faith in the judiciary and refused to comment further saying he had not seen the bail order yet. However, his wife Jagisha Arora said she was overwhelmed to see her husband freed from jail after five long days. Reposing faith in judiciary, Jagishasaid that they would decide future course of action after reaching Delhi.
Meanwhile, as Kanojia was released on bail, fate of five others – three journalists and two Gorakhour residents-- held for their controversial and objectionable posts over UP CM Yogi Adityanath hung in balance. However, the cops are looking for two more such persons each from Kannauj and Basti.
Notably, Kanojia was held by UP police for sharing a video on his Twitter and Facebook accounts showing a woman repeatedly expressing her desire to marry Adityanath. He had posted the video with some objectionable personal comments which tantamount to tarnish UP CM’s image, said the police sources.
Officials said Ishika Singh, channel head of Nation Live and editor Anuj Shukla were arrested in Noida on June 8, two days after telecasting the controversial content “without verifying” its authenticity. Both Singh and Shukla were remanded to 14-day judicial remand.
Moreover, Anshul Kaushik, editor, Nation Live was also arrested in Noida on Monday night and sent to 14-day judicial custody on Tuesday on the same charges. In the meantime, a Gorakhpur scrap dealer Peer Mohammad was arrested on Monday for making a fake “wedding card” of the UP chief minister and making it viral on social networking sites. In Gorakhpur itself, a nursing home manager, Ram Prakash was put behind bars on Monday for making indecent remarks against Adityanath on social media.
Cases have also been registered against Santosh Kumar Gupta of Kannauj for uploading a morphed picture of Adityanath, while Vijay Yadav of Basti is facing charges for allegedly making some derogatory remarks against the chief minister on social media, police said. The two are yet to be arrested.