MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday reserved orders on the anticipatory bail petition filed by Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson and Delhi-based advocate Prashant Umrao in a case registered against him for his controversial tweet on safety of migrant workers in Tamil Nadu.
Umrao was booked by the Thoothukudi Central Police under sections 153, 153A, 504, 505(1) (b), 505(1) (c) and 505(2) of Indian Penal Code, after a complaint was lodged against him for the aforesaid tweet. But, denying the allegations, Umrao filed an anticipatory bail petition stating that he did not make the tweet and that even the forwarding of the tweet from his account had happened without his knowledge.
When the case was heard on Friday, State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohamed Jinnah raised objections to Umrao's plea alleging that Umrao had himself intentionally drafted the tweet and not merely forwarded it. The tweet has created apprehensions in the minds of Hindi-speaking people in Tamil Nadu and Tamil people in North India. Thousands of calls were received on the helpline number created by the government to tackle the situation. Thanks to the steps taken by the government, law and order problems were prevented, Jinnah contended.
Referring to various other controversial posts published by Umrao on social media previously, Jinnah also added that Umrao has the habit of posting such inflammatory tweets fuelling communal and linguistic disharmony. Pointing out that Umrao is a politically influenced person and a resident of Delhi, Jinnah argued that Umrao might not cooperate with the investigation if granted anticipatory bail and that only custodial interrogation would yield results.
Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan, who heard the plea, orally questioned as to how the petitioner being an officer of the court posted the tweet despite the seriousness of the issue. After an elaborate hearing, he reserved orders on the case. It could be noted that the transit anticipatory bail, obtained by Umrao last week from the Delhi High Court to approach the TN court, expires on March 20.