Congress leader Rajiv Guglani has got relief from a Ludhiana court in a cybercrime case registered over allegations of circulating false and misleading content on social media against a political organisation and the administration.
Additional sessions judge Preeti Sukhija granted interim bail to Guglani after the investigating officer told the court that he had joined the investigation and that his further custodial interrogation was not required.
While allowing the bail application, the court directed Guglani to comply with the conditions prescribed under Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. It also imposed an additional condition that he shall not leave the country without the prior permission of the court.
The order came in connection with an FIR registered on April 23 by Ludhiana cyber crime police station under Sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of the public peace) 353 (1)(b) (penalises spreading false information, rumors, or reports through electronic means with the intent to cause public fear or alarm), 356 (2) (criminal defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 66 (computer-related offences) of Information and Technology Act.
The court recorded that since the accused had joined the investigation and the investigating agency was not seeking his further custodial interrogation, there was no reason to continue the interim protection on that ground. Consequently, the interim bail was made absolute and the bail application was allowed.
{{/usCountry}}The court recorded that since the accused had joined the investigation and the investigating agency was not seeking his further custodial interrogation, there was no reason to continue the interim protection on that ground. Consequently, the interim bail was made absolute and the bail application was allowed.
{{/usCountry}}The FIR was registered on the complaint of Paras Goyal, who accused Guglani, general secretary of the District Congress Committee, of deliberately creating and circulating allegedly false, malicious and misleading content through social media with the intention of maligning a political organisation and the present administration.
Guglani stated that he had raised the issue regarding the alleged misuse of municipal corporation employees, who were being forced to work as personal staff for politicians. He had filed a formal complaint with the MC commissioner and the local bodies minister. However, he alleged that he was targeted and implicated.