The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to a 19-year-old student arrested for a social media post related to the Indo-Pak war. Also criticizing the Maharashtra government. The court ordered her immediate release so that she could appear in her college exams. The vacation bench of Justices Gauri Godse and Somshekhar Sundaresan said that the student was treated like a hardcore criminal. This is very shocking. The bench also asked whether the police was hell-bent on ruining the girl’s life. The High Court also said that the girl should not have been arrested, especially when she immediately removed the post. She had expressed remorse and apologized. This is not a case where the girl has to remain in custody. Release her from Yerawada Central Jail today itself. The expulsion from the college was also canceled, permission to appear in the exam was asked. The student was arrested in early May for a post criticizing the Indian government during the Indo-Pak dispute during Operation Sindoor. The girl had earlier challenged the decision to expel her from the college in the High Court. The girl’s lawyer Farhana Shah had also filed a plea on Tuesday seeking quashing of the FIR and release on bail. Slamming both the state and the girl’s college, the high court also suspended the expulsion order issued by the Sinhagad Academy of Engineering and directed the college to give her a hall ticket. The bench also warned the student to act responsibly in future and refrain from uploading such posts. The government’s attitude towards the youth and the fundamentalist court questioned the conduct of the government and the college. The court said, “Someone is expressing his opinion and you are ruining his life like this? A student’s life has been ruined.” Additional Government Pleader P P Kakde said that the girl’s post was against national interest. However, the court said that the post made by a student will not harm the national interest. How can the state arrest a student like this? Does the state want students to stop expressing their opinion? This attitude of the state will further radicalise the youth.” The bench also criticised the college and said that the approach of an educational institution should be to reform, not punish. The college should have given the girl an opportunity to put forth her point. The court said that the girl is at an age where it is natural to make mistakes and she has suffered a lot. What was the whole case… The accused girl reposted a post from an account called Reformistan on Instagram on May 7, which criticised the Indian government for ‘inciting war against Pakistan’. Within two hours, she realised her mistake and deleted the post after receiving a barrage of threats. In its expulsion letter dated May 9, the college said that the student had anti-national sentiments and was a threat to the campus community and society. The student was expelled from the college due to protests against her. After the FIR was registered, the Kondhwa police arrested her on the same day. The local court rejected her bail plea. She is currently lodged in Pune’s Yerwada jail.
