Chandigarh, September 15
Just about a week after an Additional Sessions Judge dismissed Gurdas Maan’s plea in a case registered against him on August 26 for hurting religious feelings of the Sikh community, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today granted interim anticipatory bail to the singer. He has been asked to join the investigation within a week.
Justice Avneesh Jhingan asserted: “The basic foundation of democracy is secularism and freedom of expression. However, with advancement of technology, whatever positive social media might have provided, but one thing is ensured that each and every act or conduct spreads like a wild fire.”
Justice Jhingan asserted no recovery was to be made as the case was set up on a viral video. The issue whether the words used by petitioner during stage performance were deliberate/ malicious so as to invoke Section 295-A of the IPC would be a subject matter of investigation.
Justice Jhingan also made it clear that an artiste while performing on stage has the inclination to take the crowd along. The petitioner was a renowned singer and was not a personality who would be able to hide or abscond.
Among other things, Maan had contended the “Sessions Judge was apparently influenced by the show of public outcry, generated by some sections through a sustained campaign”. His counsel had added that the settled principles regulating the question of bail were overlooked in an atmosphere projected as surcharged.
Gurdas Maan gets anticipatory bail
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