HC grants anticipatory bail to man accused of making derogatory posts on Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has granted conditional anticipatory bail to a man from Bantwal accused of sharing obscene and derogatory social media posts against RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat.
Allowing the criminal petition filed by the accused, Sharukh (30), a single-judge Bench headed by Shivashankar Amarannavar held that anticipatory bail could be granted after considering the facts and circumstances of the case.
The case was registered at Bantwal Town police station following allegations that objectionable posts were uploaded from Facebook and Instagram accounts bearing the name “Sharukh Koppal”, which allegedly promoted hatred between communities and disturbed public peace. Whether the applicant himself operated the accounts and posted the content is a matter to be determined during investigation and trial, the court observed.
The court noted that the accused had undertaken to cooperate with the investigation and abide by any conditions imposed by the court. It also took into account that the alleged offences do not attract punishment of life imprisonment or death penalty, and that the accused does not have any criminal antecedents.
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Accordingly, the court directed that if Sharukh is arrested, Bantwal Town police should release him on bail. As part of the conditions, he has been asked to appear before the investigating officer within 10 days and execute a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with one surety for the same amount. He has also been directed to cooperate with the investigation, appear whenever required, and not influence or threaten witnesses, either directly or indirectly, or tamper with evidence.
The complaint in the case was filed on November 2, 2025, by K Krishnappa, who alleged that obscene and abusive language was used against Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat on social media platforms, with the intent of creating enmity between religious communities and disturbing public order. Based on the complaint, police had registered an FIR.
Sharukh had earlier approached the Mangaluru district and sessions court seeking anticipatory bail, but his plea was rejected. He then moved the High Court.
During the hearing, counsel for the accused Rashif Nairmoole argued that Sharukh had not posted any such content and that his social media accounts could have been hacked or misused by someone who knew his passwords. He submitted that the accused was willing to cooperate fully with the police and comply with any conditions imposed by the court, and sought grant of anticipatory bail, which was ultimately allowed by the High Court.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
