Supreme Court Grants Bail in Case Over Allegedly Objectionable Posts About Kalpana Soren

The Supreme Court granted bail to a security guard accused of publishing allegedly obscene and derogatory Facebook posts concerning Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's wife, Kalpana Soren.

What happened

The Supreme Court granted bail to a security guard accused of publishing allegedly obscene and derogatory Facebook posts concerning Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's wife, Kalpana Soren. The appeal challenged the Jharkhand High Court's refusal to grant bail. Grant of bail does not amount to acceptance or rejection of the allegations and does not terminate the prosecution. It concerns the accused's liberty while the criminal case continues according to law. The order is relevant to the judicial assessment of custody in prosecutions arising from online speech, while leaving questions concerning the content, applicable offences and ultimate criminal liability to be determined at trial.

Legal significance

The legal effect is confined to the present judgment, order or procedural development. Party allegations and submissions are not treated as established facts.

Practical consequence

The matter proceeds according to the operative direction, statutory process or next hearing described above.

Source: Original report