Allahabad HC Grants Interim Bail to Lucknow Professor Booked Over ‘Saffron Terrorist’ Tweet After Pahalgam Attack.
(Judicial Quest News Network)
In an important development, the Allahabad High Court on Monday granted interim anticipatory bail to Dr. Madri Kakoti,@ Medusa an assistant professor in the Linguistics Department at the University of Lucknow, in connection with a controversial social media post related to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Dr. Kakoti, widely recognized on social media as “Best Doctor Line” and “Aligarh,” was booked under multiple sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, including provisions related to endangering India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity.
The First Information Report (FIR) against her was filed following a complaint by Jatin Shukla, a student and member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The complaint alleged that Dr. Kakoti’s posts—particularly those using terms like “Saffron terrorist”—were inflammatory and had been circulated by Pakistani media. It further claimed the posts had the potential to disrupt public peace and law and order, and could even incite riots.
Justice Rajiv Singh granted interim relief after the Lucknow court previously rejected Dr. Kakoti’s anticipatory bail plea. Her counsel, Advocate Syed Muhammad Haider Rizvi, argued that the FIR failed to reproduce or reference the actual post in question, raising serious concerns about the legality and fairness of the case.
The FIR invokes stringent sections of the BNS, including 197(1), 353(2), 196(1)(a), 352, 302, and 152, as well as Section 69A of the IT Act, some of which carry penalties up to life imprisonment. Dr. Kakoti sought protection from arrest, expressing apprehension that the police were actively pursuing her despite the vague and unsubstantiated nature of the charges.
The Pahalgam terror attack claimed 26 lives and injured 17 others. In its aftermath, several states—including Assam—initiated crackdowns on individuals accused of posting or sharing content perceived as sympathetic to Pakistan.
