The Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted bail to a college student on condition that he removes himself from social media for two months for “digital detoxification” and continues preparing for a competitive examination.
Justice Anand Pathak on August 4 directed Harendra Tyagi, an 18-year-old agriculture science student, to “not be present on any social media platform at all for two months for digital detoxification for personal reasons or for other reasons”.
Further, the order said the accused would have to submit monthly reports about his “digital detoxification” at the police station concerned. In addition, the court ordered he should complete his studies for the Pre-Agriculture Test.
The lawyer for the accused Sushant Tiwari, while making a plea for bail before the court, had contended a false case had been registered against him in Bhind district under Sections 323(Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 294 (Obscene acts and songs), 506/34 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), 327 (Voluntarily causing hurt to extort property, or to constrain to an illegal act) and 329 (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to extort property, or to constrain to an illegal act) of the Indian Penal Code.
“Looking to the challenging time of COVID-19 pandemic situation, his case be sympathetically considered. Even otherwise, he learnt the lesson the hard way and would mend his way and would become a better citizen,” the lawyer argued, stating he had been confined since June 24.
Granting him bail on several conditions, the court asked him to furnish a personal bond of ₹50,000 along with one solvent surety of the amount to the satisfaction of the trial court and to install the Arogya Setu application.
Further, the judge directed him to plant five fruit or neem/peepal saplings and nurture them dutifully. Within 30 days of his release, he has to present before the trial court photographs of his planting them. And during the course of the trial, he must present a progress report every three months before the court.
The directions, said the court, had been given as part of an “examination process” so that violent and harmful thoughts were abjured, and by “becoming one with creativity and environment harmony could be established”.
On July 30, the Indore Bench of the High Court granted bail to a man accused of sexual harassment on the condition that he request the complainant to tie a rakhi on him with a promise to protect her “to the best of his ability for all times to come”.