Karnataka HC grants interim bail to Twitter MD in Ghaziabad assault case

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday granted interim relief to Twitter India head Manish Maheshwari and told the Ghaziabad police not to take any coercive action against him.

Maheshwari had approached the High Court for transit anticipatory bail in connection with the FIR filed by the police over tweets on the assault of an elderly Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad.

Maheshwari's counsel told the court that he is an employee of Twitter and he had nothing to do with the offence. He also highlighted that Ghaziabad Police wanted Maheshwari to be present in-person despite Supreme Court and high court stating that the statement can be recorded through video-conferencing.

The UP Police had filed an FIR last week against Twitter India, several journalists, and Congress leaders after Abdul Samad alleged he was thrashed by some youth and forced to chant "Jai Sri Ram" and "Vande Mataram". The police, however, subsequently claimed it was not a communal incident.

Journalists Rana Ayyub and Saba Naqvi, and Congress leaders Salman Nizami, Shama Mohamed, and Maskoor Usmani were also charged for posting and sharing "misleading" tweets and video, and "provoking communal sentiments".

In the tweet, Abdul Samad claimed he was forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram" and "Vande Mataram" though police ruled out a communal angle, saying the accused - both Hindus and Muslims - attacked the man after a dispute over amulets.