Allahabad High Court Grants Bail to Satirist Over Controversial Social Media Remarks

Court Decision on Satirist's Bail

On Monday, the Allahabad High Court provided interim anticipatory bail to satirist Madri Kakoti concerning her comments on social media about the terrorist incident in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, as reported by a legal news outlet.

Justice Rajeev Singh issued the bail in response to a first information report lodged against Kakoti at the Hasanganj police station, following a complaint from Jatin Shukla, a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, in April.

Kakoti, who is also known as Dr. Medusa on social media, serves as an assistant professor in the linguistics department at Lucknow University.

Shukla's complaint accused Kakoti of undermining India's unity and integrity through her posts on X, where she allegedly referred to individuals as 'saffron terrorists' and had her content shared by Pakistani media outlets.

As a result, she faced multiple charges, including those related to jeopardizing India's sovereignty and integrity, according to legal reports.

The terrorist attack in Baisaran, near Pahalgam, on April 22 resulted in 26 fatalities and 17 injuries. The attackers reportedly identified victims by asking for their names to determine their religion, with all but three of the deceased being Hindu.

In the wake of the attack, various states, including Assam, initiated actions against individuals making statements perceived as supportive of Pakistan.