“How many will be jailed before the polls?” — Supreme Court’s huge judgment
On Monday, the Supreme Court reinstated the bail granted to YouTuber Sattai Duraimurugan concerning alleged derogatory comments directed at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.
In a pointed remark, the court cautioned, “If we start imprisoning everyone who makes allegations on YouTube before elections, imagine the number of individuals who would be incarcerated.”
Justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, presiding over the bench, granted bail while emphasising, “We do not believe that he can be deemed to have misused his freedom by protesting and expressing opinions.”
The court declined to impose any conditions on Sattai, like restraining him from making scandalous remarks while on bail. Justice Oka questioned Mukul Rohatgi on who would determine whether a statement is scandalous or not.
The case originated from Sattai’s challenge to a Madras High Court ruling that revoked his bail. That court noted that shortly after giving an undertaking to the court, which led to his release, Sattai had committed further offences by making derogatory comments against the Tamil Nadu chief minister.
