Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court granted bail to one Najibul Islam, who was arrested for allegedly posting 'I love Pakistan' on Instagram following the Pahalgam terror attack, purportedly instigated or sponsored by Pakistan.
A bench of Justice Kalyan Rai Surana noted that the petitioner had been in custody since May 1, 2025, and had completed approximately 70 days of incarceration and that his further custodial interrogation was not necessary at this stage.
Challenging his bail plea, the Assistant Public Prosecutor argued that the accused had made a social media post supporting Pakistan at a time when the entire nation was mourning the terror attack attributed to Pakistan. It was argued that releasing the petitioner could lead to his involvement in further anti-India activities.
However, considering the duration of his custody, the Court decided to grant him bail on execution of a bail bond of Rs 40,000/- with two solvent sureties of like amount, to the satisfaction of the Sessions Judge, Bongaigaon.
Najibul Islam had prayed for bail in connection with Manikpur P.S. Case No. 53/2025 under Sections 152/196(1)/197(1)/352/353(2) of the BNS, 2023, which is currently being tried as Sessions Case No. T-II 47/2025 before the Court of the Sessions Judge, Bongaigaon.
It may be mentioned that the Allahabad High Court recently observed that merely showing support to Pakistan without referring to any incident or mentioning the name of India will not, prima facie, attract the offence under Section 152 Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which penalises acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.
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