Bail to activist held for defaming TMC

Thane: A magistrate court in Thane granted bail to a political activist who was arrested for allegedly defaming the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and for spreading ‘rumors’ by dragging the kin of the Chief Minister.
Magistrate MD Nanaware granted bail to Ajay Jeya who belongs to Dharma Rajya Paksha. Jeya had been arrested by the Naupada police. The local magistrate had remanded him to magistrial custody following which he had filed the present bail plea, Jeya’s advocate for the bail in the court said.
In the order, the magistrate observed, “ ..offence under section 505(2) is for promoting feeling of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or casts or communities on the ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or communities.”
“In the present matter, it is alleged that a message on social media has been spread with the intent to promote hatred against the municipal corporation. Hence, prima facie the ingredients of the offence punishable under section 505(2) of the IPC are not attracted here,” the magistrate noted in the order.
With respect to the incident of demolition of the additional construction of the sweet shop, the police first registered a case under section IPC section 500 based on the complaint by the shop owner.
Later, based on the complaint by assistant municipal commissioner of TMC with reference to the same incident, a second case for spreading ‘rumors’ was registered, in which he was booked and arrested under IPC sections 500,501,505(2) and 34, 109, 120B.