Palghar (PTI): A court in Vasai in Maharashtra's Palghar district that gave bail to actor Sheezan Khan in the Tunisha Sharma suicide case has said there was no need to keep him in jail since the probe was complete and chargesheet filed.

In his order of Saturday, details of which were made available on Sunday, Additional Sessions Judge RD Deshpande said Khan's presence for the hearings can be ensured through certain bail conditions as well as obtaining heavy surety from him.

Sharma allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself on December 24, 2022, on the sets of a TV serial near Valiv in Palghar. Khan (28) was arrested the next day for abetment of suicide on a complaint lodged by Sharma's mother.

"After completion of investigation and filing of chargesheet, I do not find any special circumstances to keep this applicant (Khan) behind the bars. The say filed by the prosecution nowhere contemplates any sufficient grounds for which the applicant is to be detained behind bars," the judge said in the order.

In his submission to court, Khan's counsel Shailendra Mishra said even if it was assumed his client withdrew from the relationship with the deceased, refusal on his part to restore this relationship would not go on to satisfy ingredients of abetment.

The relationship had broken two months prior to the incident and the applicant's role in taking the victim to hospital showed his innocence in the case. Mishra further told court.

Khan is a well known actor and has a permanent place of residence in Mumbai and, therefore, would attend court dates diligently and regularly, he said, adding further jail time for him would mean pre-trial conviction.

In his bail order. Judge Deshpande said, "However, now investigation is complete and police have filed chargesheet in the Judicial Magistrate First Class Vasai. It is important to note even after filing of the charge sheet the police machinery is not able to bring on record as to what really happened between both of them in those last ten minutes."

It has been argued by the prosecution the mobile phone of the deceased is not "opening" for collecting data, but that aspect is to be dealt with by the prosecution and the (forensic science) laboratory officials, the judge said.

The judge also cited congestion in jails as one of the reasons for granting bail, adding the prosecution could approach court if Khan violates any of the conditions laid down upon him.

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Mumbai: Mumbai was thrown into panic late on Thursday night when police received a WhatsApp message warning of a large-scale terror attack during the Ganesh festival. The message, written in the name of a jihadi group called “Lashkar-e-Jihadi,” claimed that 14 Pakistani terrorists had entered Mumbai with 400 kilograms of RDX loaded in 34 vehicles.

It warned of blasts that could kill as many as one crore people. Authorities immediately declared a high alert, and the case was handed over to the Crime Branch while the Anti-Terrorism Squad and other security agencies were put on standby.

Within hours, the threat made national headlines. Television channels and online portals reported the possibility of a terror strike, repeatedly linking the message to Pakistan-based groups.

The incident was projected as yet another attempt to destabilize Mumbai, and the supposed involvement of a jihadi outfit quickly gained traction across the media. However, a swift investigation by Mumbai Police traced the origin of the message to a very different source.

By Saturday, police had tracked down and arrested Ashwin Kumar Supra, a 50-year-old astrologer and Vastu consultant living in Sector 79 of Noida. Originally from Patna, Kumar admitted during interrogation that he had sent the message using the name of his former friend Firoz. In 2023, Firoz had lodged a fraud case against him at Phulwari Sharif police station in Patna, leading to Kumar’s three-month imprisonment. Seeking revenge, Kumar attempted to frame Firoz by posing as a jihadi terrorist. Police recovered his mobile phone, SIM cards, and other digital devices used in the hoax.

When the threat first came to light, social media was flooded with heated reactions. Journalist @Manju_IBNews wrote, “Another election around the corner!” while user @kv_mcu posted an aggressive comment demanding to “ban Islam and burn the Quran,” calling for mass deportations and tying the incident to culture and religion. In response, @RIMMS51979 countered sharply, saying, “Caller Name is Ashvini kumar what will you burn now.” Another user, @Valkyrie00777, questioned the credibility of the threat, pointing to contradictions in the claim that 14 terrorists had entered India with 34 bombs and 400 kilograms of RDX. Meanwhile, @Liberal51601607 remarked, “Terrorists have no religion.. Anyone..?”

Fact-checkers also weighed in. @zoo_bear (Mohammed Zubair) accused NDTV of omitting crucial context, posting: “Adani's TV hasn't mentioned that the accused Ashwini Kumar sent the bomb threat message to Mumbai police in the name of his friend Firoz to frame him.” The fact-check website Aazad Fact Check (@AazadFactCheck) published a detailed rebuttal, saying the story had quickly evolved into a propaganda tool. It noted that the supposed intelligence about “human bombs in vehicles” was technically flawed and described the entire sequence as “a pure example of Indian narrative building before a false flag operation.”

After Ashwini Kumar’s arrest, the tone of the online conversation shifted sharply. Activist @ShabnamHashmi posted, “Ashwini Kumar 50 Year Old Astrologer from Noida has been arrested for sending these threats in the name of a Muslim. This is how Sangh sleeper cells are spreading hatred. Stop the Hate factory! Vote Out the Vote Chori Gang.” Journalist @indscribe (Shams Ur Rehman Alavi) observed that newspapers splashed the initial threat on front pages but buried the arrest details inside. “When the guy gets caught, the same newspapers don't publish his photo, relegate it to page 14 or reduce it to a single column… Interest gone after ‘name’ found,” he wrote.

Other users highlighted systemic and political angles. @shfique13 argued that there are now “two laws” in the country—one protecting those aligned with the government and another used to suppress truth-tellers. @SoodRajive claimed the episode was staged, alleging Kumar had been paid to frame a minority and calling it “a staged toolkit drama.” User @hussain2577 wrote sarcastically, “Such an innocent n bright person. Plzz grant him bail, Garland him, Give him BJP membership form.” Another account, @Sangliyana, remarked, “Risking his life just to frame a Muslim boy. This is what 11 years corrupting mind.” Finally, @rsbisht__ argued that Kumar’s only aim was to trap Firoz, linking it to what he described as rising hatred against Muslims in Uttar Pradesh under the Modi and Yogi administrations.